Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Thetford Mines

For one person, living is cheaper in Thetford Mines: $2,010 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Thetford Mines
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Thetford Mines Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Thetford Mines

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Thetford Mines

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

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

San Jose $2,107
Thetford Mines $2,010

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in San Jose vs $2,429 in Thetford Mines, rent included.

San Jose $3,081
Thetford Mines $2,429

A family of three spends $4,054 per month in San Jose vs $2,848 in Thetford Mines, rent included.

San Jose $4,054
Thetford Mines $2,848

San Jose costs about 5% more than Thetford Mines, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.37 ₡5,563

$11.60 CA$16.32

6.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$40.81 CA$57.4

52.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,264

$8.40 CA$11.81

39.40%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.59 CA$5.05

26.46%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.96 CA$2.76

40.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$0.91 CA$1.27

104.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,505

$3.31 CA$4.65

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₡1,944

$4.58 CA$6.45

-5.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,061

$1.61 CA$2.26

46.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,379

$2.55 CA$3.59

20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,128

$2.12 CA$2.98

18.40%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$2.56 CA$3.59

37.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,738

$10.01 CA$14.08

5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,754

$6.60 CA$9.28

60.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,261

$13.73 CA$19.31

1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,338

$2.11 CA$2.96

146.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡740

$1.47 CA$2.07

12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,198

$2.09 CA$2.94

133.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$2.09 CA$2.94

83.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,757

$1.88 CA$2.64

107.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,692

$1.81 CA$2.54

107.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.62 CA$0.87

80.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,447

$1.57 CA$2.21

105.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 ₡2,706

$11.59 CA$16.29

-48.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.84 ₡8,919

$10.50 CA$14.77

88.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,264

$1.39 CA$1.96

102.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ₡1,643

$2.87 CA$4.03

27.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡487

$2.38 CA$3.34

-54.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.3K

$63.1 CA$88.7

3.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.18 CA$4.48

-28.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡799

$1.44 CA$2.03

23.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ₡3,551

$32.86 CA$46.21

-75.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.09 CA$1.54

37.61%

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

$33.5K ₡15.1M

$21.6K CA$30.4K

54.68%

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

$42.3K ₡19.0M

$21.6K CA$30.4K

95.37%

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

$93.2 ₡41.9K

$77.7 CA$109

19.98%

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

$36.13 ₡16.2K

$34.74 CA$48.85

4.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$43.41 CA$61.0

39.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ₡31.0K

$37.13 CA$52.2

85.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 ₡11.2K

$18.42 CA$25.91

35.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,449

$11.28 CA$15.86

-32.00%

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

$972 ₡436.9K

$513 CA$722

89.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K ₡8.5M

$16.2K CA$22.8K

16.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 ₡31.8K

$46.89 CA$65.9

50.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₡25.5K

$24.71 CA$34.75

129.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$61.1 CA$85.9

110.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$67.5 CA$95.0

93.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 ₡525.9K

$1,285 CA$1,807

-8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 ₡424.1K

$1,156 CA$1,626

-18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡892.0K

$873 CA$1,227

127.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 ₡629.5K

$932 CA$1,310

50.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

$4,372 CA$6,149

-38.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡915.8K

$3,502 CA$4,925

-41.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡443.6K

$1,266 CA$1,780

-22.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.48

92.41%

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

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Last update for Thetford Mines: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$943 44.8%

Thetford Mines

$1.2K 57.5% 22.6% $213

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 19.1%

Thetford Mines

$267 13.3% 33.7% $136

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Thetford Mines

$198 9.9% 14.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$190 9%

Thetford Mines

$156 7.8% 18% $34

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Thetford Mines

$90 4.5% 48.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$84 4%

Thetford Mines

$60 3% 29.2% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$81 3.8%

Thetford Mines

$83 4.1% 2.8% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,170 in San Jose versus $1,285 in Thetford Mines. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Thetford Mines, 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 $41 in Thetford Mines. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $267 – making Thetford Mines the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Thetford Mines

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

26,072

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 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 = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Thetford Mines 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Thetford Mines

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 Thetford Mines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in San Jose and $3,015 in Thetford Mines. 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 $1,285 in Thetford Mines. 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 $41 in Thetford Mines. 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 Thetford Mines. That makes Thetford Mines about 5% cheaper.

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