Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Tena

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $831 in Tena, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Tena $831

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $1,425 in Tena, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Tena $1,425

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $2,018 in Tena, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Tena $2,018

San Jose costs about 133% more than Tena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Tena is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$6.03 $6.03

105.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$54.9 $54.9

10.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$7.61 $7.61

50.46%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$3.39 $3.39

29.50%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.38 $1.38

95.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.10 $1.10

75.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.45 $3.45

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$6.09 $6.09

-27.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.15 $1.15

112.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$1.53 $1.53

99.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.56 $1.56

54.49%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.16 $2.16

57.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$6.41 $6.41

67.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$5.63 $5.63

85.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$7.77 $7.77

80.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$2.22 $2.22

136.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.18 $1.18

34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$1.27 $1.27

269.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$1.13 $1.13

249.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.19 $1.19

229.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$1.07 $1.07

243.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.92 $0.92

21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$1.05 $1.05

203.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$5.87 $5.87

2.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$9.91 $9.91

97.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.59 $1.59

77.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.17 $3.17

13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.33 $0.33

239.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$16.94 $16.94

294.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.51 $1.51

65.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$0.76 $0.76

114.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$9.95 $9.95

-14.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.80 $0.80

95.00%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$21.3K $21.3K

5.36%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$28.5K $28.5K

24.81%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$29.16 $29.16

226.54%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$17.66 $17.66

101.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$28.72 $28.72

104.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$32.43 $32.43

124.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$15.44 $15.44

60.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$6.45 $6.45

17.52%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$226 $226

342.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$8,840 $8,840

93.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$69.8 $69.8

1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$50.4 $50.4

10.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$114 $114

13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$106 $106

23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$300 $300

208.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$186 $186

317.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$728 $728

170.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$417 $417

208.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,120 $1,120

103.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$717 $717

155.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.12

-14.82%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Tena

$186 22.3% 76% $589

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Tena

$197 23.8% 50.8% $204

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Tena

$151 18.2% 34.1% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Tena

$76 9.1% 60.1% $114

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Tena

$153 18.4% 12.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Tena

$45 5.5% 48.4% $43

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Tena

$24 2.8% 71.2% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $300 in Tena. 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $55.0 in Tena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $197 – making Tena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Tena

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

16,669

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Tena 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Tena

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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 133%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $1,247 in Tena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Jose and $55.0 in Tena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $831 in Tena. That's a gap of about 133%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tena, where all-in costs run around $831, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Tena it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tena. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.