Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Turrialba

For one person, living is cheaper in Turrialba: $1,726 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Turrialba
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Turrialba Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Turrialba

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,924 per month in San Jose vs $1,726 in Turrialba, rent included.

San Jose $1,924
Turrialba $1,726

A couple spends around $2,926 per month in San Jose vs $2,753 in Turrialba, rent included.

San Jose $2,926
Turrialba $2,753

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in San Jose vs $3,779 in Turrialba, rent included.

San Jose $3,929
Turrialba $3,779

San Jose costs about 11% more than Turrialba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Turrialba sit above the global median – San Jose by 42%, Turrialba by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,513

$11.97 ₡5,370

2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡27.9K

$60.9 ₡27.3K

2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 ₡5,171

$11.78 ₡5,283

-2.12%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,953

$4.34 ₡1,946

0.23%

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

$2.64 ₡1,183

$2.75 ₡1,233

-4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡836

$1.94 ₡871

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,490

$3.32 ₡1,488

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,026

$4.40 ₡1,973

2.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$2.35 ₡1,052

1.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,381

$3.06 ₡1,372

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.53 ₡1,134

-1.19%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,562

$3.60 ₡1,612

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,815

$10.54 ₡4,726

1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,629

$10.32 ₡4,630

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,325

$14.16 ₡6,352

-0.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,256

$5.07 ₡2,273

-0.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.57 ₡705

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 ₡2,171

$4.74 ₡2,124

2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,776

$3.97 ₡1,782

-0.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,684

$3.91 ₡1,754

-3.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$3.71 ₡1,663

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡485

$1.13 ₡505

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$3.19 ₡1,431

1.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,627

$6.07 ₡2,724

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 ₡9,095

$20.24 ₡9,076

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.84 ₡1,274

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ₡1,673

$3.60 ₡1,613

3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.28 ₡574

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.45 ₡1,101

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.57 ₡704

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,904

$8.80 ₡3,948

-1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡709

$1.50 ₡671

5.33%

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

$33.6K ₡15.1M

$22.2K ₡10.0M

51.06%

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

$41.7K ₡18.7M

$34.6K ₡15.5M

20.60%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$96.4 ₡43.2K

-2.87%

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

$35.42 ₡15.9K

$35.27 ₡15.8K

0.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$59.2 ₡26.5K

1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$73.7 ₡33.0K

-1.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$7.87 ₡3,527

-1.65%

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

$1,005 ₡450.9K

$993 ₡445.3K

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.3K ₡7.8M

-2.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 ₡32.8K

$72.0 ₡32.3K

1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$56.4 ₡25.3K

-1.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.5K

$134 ₡60.1K

-2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 ₡418.0K

$808 ₡362.3K

15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₡340.8K

$626 ₡280.7K

21.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡862.0K

$1,870 ₡838.7K

2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 ₡572.1K

$1,287 ₡577.2K

-0.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Last update for Turrialba: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$760 39.5%

Turrialba

$626 36.3% 17.6% $134

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$403 21%

Turrialba

$402 23.3% 0.4% $1.5

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.9%

Turrialba

$227 13.2% 0.6% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Turrialba

$191 11.1% 1% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9.1%

Turrialba

$176 10.2% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Turrialba

$89 5.2% 1.5% $1.3

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.2%

Turrialba

$15 * 0.9% 80.8% $65

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in San Jose versus $808 in Turrialba. 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 $62.0 in San Jose versus $61.0 in Turrialba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $402 – making Turrialba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Turrialba

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

27,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Jose Turrialba 44 km

From you

San Jose
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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 Turrialba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,886 per month in San Jose and $2,589 in Turrialba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,924 in San Jose and $1,726 in Turrialba. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $1,005 per month in San Jose and $993 in Turrialba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Turrialba, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Turrialba it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Turrialba – 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 Turrialba. 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.