Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Stratford, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $2,010 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
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Stratford, ON Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,107 per month in San Jose vs $2,010 in Stratford, ON, rent included.

San Jose $2,107
Stratford, ON $2,010

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $3,170 in Stratford, ON, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Stratford, ON $3,170

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $4,330 in Stratford, ON, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Stratford, ON $4,330

San Jose costs about 5% more than Stratford, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Stratford, ON sit above the global median – San Jose by 56%, Stratford, ON by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,546

$18.12 CA$25.60

-31.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$49.58 CA$70.1

25.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,248

$11.59 CA$16.37

1.04%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,034

$3.38 CA$4.77

34.32%

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

$2.75 ₡1,234

$1.49 CA$2.10

84.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡835

$1.37 CA$1.94

35.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,501

$4.20 CA$5.94

-20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,938

$4.70 CA$6.64

-8.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,057

$2.19 CA$3.10

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,375

$2.82 CA$3.99

8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$3.63 CA$5.13

-30.85%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,580

$3.01 CA$4.25

17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,724

$10.28 CA$14.52

2.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$11.24 CA$15.88

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$21.99 CA$31.06

-36.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$3.51 CA$4.97

48.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡738

$1.06 CA$1.49

55.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,191

$4.27 CA$6.03

14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,722

$4.73 CA$6.69

-18.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$3.42 CA$4.83

14.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,687

$2.36 CA$3.33

59.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.50 CA$3.53

-55.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,443

$1.48 CA$2.09

117.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,698

$10.92 CA$15.43

-44.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,892

$11.20 CA$15.83

77.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,261

$3.55 CA$5.01

-20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,638

$3.17 CA$4.47

15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡485

$2.11 CA$2.99

-48.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$49.46 CA$69.9

31.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,015

$2.39 CA$3.37

-5.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡797

$1.95 CA$2.76

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,540

$26.06 CA$36.81

-69.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.12 CA$1.58

33.93%

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

$33.5K ₡15.0M

$28.4K CA$40.2K

17.78%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$22.8K CA$32.2K

85.81%

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

$93.2 ₡41.8K

$123 CA$174

-24.43%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$39.72 CA$56.1

-9.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$31.82 CA$44.96

90.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡30.9K

$43.47 CA$61.4

58.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$19.43 CA$27.46

28.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,439

$10.32 CA$14.59

-25.68%

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

$972 ₡435.6K

$821 CA$1,160

18.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$17.5K CA$24.7K

7.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.7K

$64.5 CA$91.1

9.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.4K

$36.41 CA$51.4

55.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$85.2 CA$120

50.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$126 CA$178

3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡524.3K

$1,212 CA$1,713

-3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡422.8K

$895 CA$1,265

5.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡889.3K

$2,111 CA$2,982

-6.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡627.6K

$1,828 CA$2,582

-23.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$3,794 CA$5,360

-29.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡913.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡442.3K

$2,701 CA$3,816

-63.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.99

72.75%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Stratford, ON: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Stratford, ON

$895 44.5% 5.1% $48

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Stratford, ON

$384 19.1% 4.7% $19

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Stratford, ON

$262 13% 12.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Stratford, ON

$195 9.7% 2.6% $5

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Stratford, ON

$140 7% 19.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Stratford, ON

$64 3.2% 23.9% $20

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Stratford, ON

$70 3.5% 13.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,212 in Stratford, ON. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Stratford, ON are about 2.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Jose versus $50 in Stratford, ON. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $384 – making Stratford, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

31,465

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 2 EUR

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 501 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Jose Stratford, ON 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,015 in Stratford, ON. 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 $1,212 in Stratford, ON. 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 $50 in Stratford, ON. 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 $2,010 in Stratford, ON. That makes Stratford, ON about 5% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,107 in San Jose and $2,010 in Stratford, ON, 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 $2,010 in Stratford, ON to $2,107 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.