Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,808 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $1,808 in Thompson, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Thompson $1,808

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $2,730 in Thompson, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Thompson $2,730

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $3,652 in Thompson, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Thompson $3,652

San Jose costs about 8% more than Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Thompson sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Thompson by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$17.37 CA$24.71

-29.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$63.3 CA$90.0

-4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$10.63 CA$15.12

10.72%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$3.62 CA$5.15

18.78%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$1.96 CA$2.79

38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.62 CA$2.30

13.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.33 CA$7.58

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$5.60 CA$7.97

-22.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$2.13 CA$3.02

11.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$2.49 CA$3.55

25.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$3.20 CA$4.56

-24.69%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.33 CA$4.74

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$10.09 CA$14.35

4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.46 CA$16.30

-7.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$14.70 CA$20.91

-6.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$3.65 CA$5.19

38.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.17 CA$1.67

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.77 CA$5.37

21.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.16 CA$5.92

-7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$2.40 CA$3.42

57.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.20 CA$3.13

70.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.42 CA$3.44

-53.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.60 CA$2.27

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$13.73 CA$19.53

-57.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$12.67 CA$18.02

55.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.69 CA$3.83

2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.04 CA$4.32

20.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.20 CA$3.13

-49.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$67.2 CA$95.5

-3.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.86 CA$4.07

-13.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.38 CA$1.97

11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$22.69 CA$32.27

-62.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.12 CA$1.60

38.39%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$27.8K CA$39.6K

-22.03%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$20.4K CA$29.1K

70.68%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$137 CA$195

-30.92%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$37.96 CA$54.0

-7.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$53.0 CA$75.4

10.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$41.03 CA$58.4

75.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$15.67 CA$22.28

60.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$10.96 CA$15.59

-28.56%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$641 CA$911

51.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$13.8K CA$19.6K

23.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$53.5 CA$76.0

33.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$38.21 CA$54.4

43.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$84.0 CA$120

53.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$102 CA$145

30.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$672 CA$956

38.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$674 CA$958

14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$1,090 CA$1,551

78.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$1,116 CA$1,587

17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$4,094 CA$5,823

-44.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$4,002 CA$5,693

-55.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$1,531 CA$2,178

-34.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.64

85.78%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Thompson

$674 37.6% 12.5% $97

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Thompson

$350 19.6% 12.2% $48

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Thompson

$266 14.9% 16.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Thompson

$228 12.7% 21.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Thompson

$125 7% 28.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Thompson

$63 3.5% 28.3% $25

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 7.6% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $672 in Thompson. 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 52% higher in Thompson, 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 $60.0 in San Jose versus $63.0 in Thompson. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Jose vs $350 in Thompson – so Thompson wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

12,829

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Thompson 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $2,712 in Thompson. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thompson, 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 $60.0 in San Jose and $63.0 in Thompson. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,949 in San Jose and $1,808 in Thompson. That's a gap of about 8%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Thompson, where all-in costs run around $1,808, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Thompson it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Thompson. 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.