Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Vazquez de Coronado

For one person, living is cheaper in Vazquez de Coronado: $1,764 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Vazquez de Coronado
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Vazquez de Coronado Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Vazquez de Coronado

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Jose and in Vazquez de Coronado

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 Vazquez de Coronado actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,105 per month in San Jose vs $1,764 in Vazquez de Coronado, rent included.

San Jose $2,105
Vazquez de Coronado $1,764

A couple spends around $3,074 per month in San Jose vs $2,824 in Vazquez de Coronado, rent included.

San Jose $3,074
Vazquez de Coronado $2,824

A family of three spends $4,043 per month in San Jose vs $3,884 in Vazquez de Coronado, rent included.

San Jose $4,043
Vazquez de Coronado $3,884

San Jose costs about 19% more than Vazquez de Coronado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Jose and Vazquez de Coronado sit above the global median – San Jose by 55%, Vazquez de Coronado by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 ₡5,609

$12.02 ₡5,426

3.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.5K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 ₡5,288

$11.48 ₡5,180

2.09%

Cappuccino

$4.47 ₡2,019

$4.38 ₡1,978

2.05%

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

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.72 ₡1,228

1.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡867

$1.93 ₡869

-0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,470

$3.30 ₡1,491

-1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₡2,009

$4.55 ₡2,054

-2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,063

$2.30 ₡1,038

2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,393

$3.05 ₡1,376

1.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,083

$2.42 ₡1,092

-0.83%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,553

$3.57 ₡1,609

-3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,841

$10.57 ₡4,770

1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,674

$10.35 ₡4,670

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,243

$13.74 ₡6,201

0.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₡2,323

$5.03 ₡2,268

2.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡746

$1.64 ₡740

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,109

$4.88 ₡2,200

-4.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,798

$3.84 ₡1,733

3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,761

$3.92 ₡1,768

-0.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 ₡1,647

$3.75 ₡1,691

-2.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.12 ₡507

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,398

$3.24 ₡1,463

-4.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 ₡2,745

$5.76 ₡2,597

5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.05 ₡9,047

$20.27 ₡9,146

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,252

$2.81 ₡1,269

-1.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₡1,666

$3.59 ₡1,618

2.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.25 ₡565

-10.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,122

$2.40 ₡1,083

3.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡735

$1.62 ₡729

0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 ₡3,821

$8.85 ₡3,994

-4.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.52 ₡686

3.29%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.8K ₡15.2M

2.35%

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

$42.3K ₡19.1M

$42.6K ₡19.2M

-0.67%

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

$93.2 ₡42.0K

$96.4 ₡43.5K

-3.37%

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

$36.05 ₡16.3K

$36.34 ₡16.4K

-0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.7K

$58.8 ₡26.5K

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.1K

$64.8 ₡29.2K

6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,543

$7.78 ₡3,510

0.90%

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

$996 ₡449.4K

$966 ₡435.9K

3.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.6K

$71.3 ₡32.2K

-1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 ₡24.9K

$55.3 ₡24.9K

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.5K

$127 ₡57.1K

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.2K

$133 ₡59.9K

-1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₡525.2K

$821 ₡370.3K

41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 ₡426.4K

$676 ₡304.8K

39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 ₡899.4K

$1,771 ₡799.0K

12.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 ₡633.4K

$1,416 ₡639.1K

-0.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ₡920.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 ₡456.1K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Vazquez de Coronado: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$945 44.9%

Vazquez de Coronado

$676 38.3% 28.5% $269

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 19%

Vazquez de Coronado

$400 22.7% 0.2% $0.8

Eating Out

San Jose

$232 11%

Vazquez de Coronado

$227 12.9% 2% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9%

Vazquez de Coronado

$192 10.9% 1.7% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 8.3%

Vazquez de Coronado

$174 9.8% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$85 4%

Vazquez de Coronado

$80 4.6% 5.1% $4.4

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 3.9%

Vazquez de Coronado

$15 * 0.9% 81.1% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in San Jose versus $821 in Vazquez de Coronado. 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 in San Jose versus $61 in Vazquez de Coronado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $400 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Vazquez de Coronado

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

26,669

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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San Jose Vazquez de Coronado 10 km

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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 Vazquez de Coronado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,158 per month in San Jose and $2,646 in Vazquez de Coronado. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vazquez de Coronado, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $821 there versus $1,164 in San Jose.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,105 in San Jose and $1,764 in Vazquez de Coronado. That makes Vazquez de Coronado about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $996 per month in San Jose and $966 in Vazquez de Coronado. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,105 in San Jose and $1,764 in Vazquez de Coronado, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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