Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Stephenville

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $2,107 a month against $2,248 in Stephenville, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Stephenville outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Stephenville
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Stephenville Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Stephenville

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,248

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Stephenville

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Jose and in Stephenville actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,248 in Stephenville, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Stephenville $2,248

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,259 in Stephenville, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Stephenville $3,259

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,271 in Stephenville, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Stephenville $4,271

San Jose is about 6% cheaper than Stephenville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Stephenville sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Stephenville by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$18.15 CA$25.44

-31.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$65.4 CA$91.7

-4.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$10.51 CA$14.74

11.42%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.68 CA$5.15

23.37%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,238

$2.05 CA$2.88

34.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.62 CA$2.26

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$5.18 CA$7.27

-35.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$5.73 CA$8.03

-24.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$2.54 CA$3.57

-7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.54 CA$3.56

20.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$3.37 CA$4.72

-25.52%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.42 CA$4.79

3.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.27 CA$14.40

2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$11.36 CA$15.93

-6.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$14.83 CA$20.79

-6.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$3.88 CA$5.44

34.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.34 CA$1.88

23.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$3.56 CA$4.99

37.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.82 CA$5.35

0.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$2.44 CA$3.41

60.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$2.27 CA$3.19

65.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.36 CA$6.11

-74.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.58 CA$2.21

103.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$14.53 CA$20.36

-58.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$11.14 CA$15.62

78.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$2.71 CA$3.80

3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$3.17 CA$4.45

15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.27 CA$3.18

-52.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$63.6 CA$89.1

2.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$2.89 CA$4.06

-21.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.48 CA$2.08

20.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$23.74 CA$33.28

-66.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.17 CA$1.64

28.21%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$27.2K CA$38.1K

23.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$21.4K CA$30.0K

97.73%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$136 CA$190

-31.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$38.96 CA$54.6

-7.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$54.2 CA$75.9

11.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.25 CA$52.2

85.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$17.82 CA$24.98

39.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$10.80 CA$15.14

-28.98%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$972 ₡436.9K

$643 CA$901

51.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$13.4K CA$18.8K

40.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$54.9 CA$76.9

28.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$38.47 CA$53.9

47.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$85.5 CA$120

50.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$105 CA$147

24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,286 CA$1,803

-9.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,115 CA$1,563

-15.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$2,036 CA$2,855

-2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$1,707 CA$2,393

-17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,445 CA$6,230

-39.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$3,591 CA$5,033

-43.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.68

84.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Stephenville: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Stephenville

$1.1K 49.6% 18.2% $172

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Stephenville

$361 16.1% 10.3% $41

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Stephenville

$273 12.1% 17.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Stephenville

$229 10.2% 20.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Stephenville

$128 5.7% 26.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Stephenville

$59 2.6% 30.2% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Stephenville

$83 3.7% 2.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,286 in Stephenville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $65 in Stephenville. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Jose vs $361 in Stephenville – so Stephenville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Stephenville

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

6,600

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Stephenville 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Stephenville

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Jose vs Stephenville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stephenville is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,372 in Stephenville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,170 in San Jose and $1,286 in Stephenville. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose and $65 in Stephenville. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in San Jose and $2,248 in Stephenville. That makes San Jose about 6% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,248 in Stephenville, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in San Jose to $2,248 in Stephenville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.