Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toronto outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $2,530 in Toronto, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Toronto $2,530

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $3,646 in Toronto, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Toronto $3,646

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $4,761 in Toronto, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Toronto $4,761

San Jose is about 23% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Jose and Toronto sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Toronto by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$17.67 CA$25.13

-30.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$77.4 CA$110

-22.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$10.47 CA$14.90

12.42%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$4.08 CA$5.80

5.39%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.12 CA$3.01

28.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.76 CA$2.50

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$6.17 CA$8.78

-46.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$6.89 CA$9.80

-36.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$2.43 CA$3.46

-2.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$2.75 CA$3.91

13.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$2.23 CA$3.17

8.07%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.45 CA$4.90

0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$8.93 CA$12.71

18.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$11.44 CA$16.27

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$14.61 CA$20.78

-5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$3.75 CA$5.33

34.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.15 CA$1.63

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.55 CA$5.05

29.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.28 CA$6.09

-10.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$1.85 CA$2.62

103.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$1.67 CA$2.37

125.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.22 CA$3.15

-49.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$1.21 CA$1.72

164.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$13.88 CA$19.74

-57.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$14.25 CA$20.27

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.20 CA$3.12

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$2.42 CA$3.44

51.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.42 CA$3.44

-53.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$111 CA$158

-41.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.90 CA$4.12

-15.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.26 CA$1.79

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$22.03 CA$31.33

-61.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.22 CA$1.74

27.05%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$27.6K CA$39.3K

-21.46%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$19.8K CA$28.2K

75.95%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$122 CA$173

-22.32%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$32.03 CA$45.56

9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$47.92 CA$68.2

22.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$38.90 CA$55.3

85.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$23.24 CA$33.05

8.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$12.61 CA$17.94

-37.91%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$834 CA$1,186

16.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$23.3K CA$33.2K

-27.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$52.6 CA$74.8

36.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$40.26 CA$57.3

36.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$96.2 CA$137

34.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$123 CA$175

8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,598 CA$2,273

-41.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,435 CA$2,041

-46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,657 CA$3,779

-26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$2,096 CA$2,981

-37.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$8,033 CA$11.4K

-71.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$6,557 CA$9,327

-72.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,743 CA$5,324

-73.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.47

92.84%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 86.3% $665

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 14.7% $59

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 23.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 7.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 19.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 27% $24

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Toronto

$130 5% 62.6% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $1,598 in Toronto. 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 272% higher in Toronto, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in San Jose versus $77.0 in Toronto. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Jose vs $340 in Toronto – so Toronto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

23:46 11:46 PM

2 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

2,731,571

💱 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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Between locations

San Jose Toronto 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Toronto

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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $3,795 in Toronto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Jose, 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 $77.0 in Toronto. 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 $2,530 in Toronto. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Toronto at $2,530. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Jose – 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 San Jose. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.