Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Ventanas

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventanas: $794 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Ventanas
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Ventanas Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Ventanas

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $794 in Ventanas, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Ventanas $794

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $1,368 in Ventanas, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Ventanas $1,368

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $1,941 in Ventanas, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Ventanas $1,941

San Jose costs about 144% more than Ventanas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Jose sits 44% above the global median, while Ventanas is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$4.09 $4.09

202.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$52.8 $52.8

15.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$9.10 $9.10

25.82%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$2.84 $2.84

54.58%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$0.87 $0.87

210.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$0.70 $0.70

175.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.09 $3.09

3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.13 $4.13

6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.21 $1.21

101.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$2.01 $2.01

51.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$1.47 $1.47

63.95%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$2.06 $2.06

65.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$6.81 $6.81

57.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$5.11 $5.11

104.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$9.23 $9.23

51.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$1.54 $1.54

240.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.18 $1.18

34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$1.01 $1.01

364.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$0.90 $0.90

338.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$1.22 $1.22

221.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$0.98 $0.98

275.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.88 $0.88

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$0.95 $0.95

235.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$5.99 $5.99

0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$11.87 $11.87

64.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$1.56 $1.56

80.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.19 $2.19

63.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$0.33 $0.33

239.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$17.38 $17.38

284.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$1.33 $1.33

87.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.72 $1.72

-5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$11.98 $11.98

-29.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.85 $0.85

83.53%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$20.7K $20.7K

8.12%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$31.5K $31.5K

12.97%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$39.46 $39.46

141.31%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$14.92 $14.92

138.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$26.27 $26.27

123.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$31.36 $31.36

131.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$15.54 $15.54

59.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$7.67 $7.67

-1.17%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$374 $374

168.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$5,644 $5,644

203.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$66.4 $66.4

6.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$41.14 $41.14

35.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$127 $127

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$91.8 $91.8

42.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$312 $312

197.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$167 $167

362.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$681 $681

188.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$402 $402

220.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$1,128 $1,128

101.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$726 $726

152.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ventanas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Ventanas

$167 21.1% 78.4% $607

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Ventanas

$200 25.2% 50.2% $201

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Ventanas

$124 15.6% 45.9% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Ventanas

$81 10.2% 57.4% $109

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Ventanas

$147 18.5% 15.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Ventanas

$47 5.9% 46.8% $41

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Ventanas

$29 3.6% 65% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose versus $312 in Ventanas. 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $53.0 in Ventanas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $200 – making Ventanas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇪🇨 Ventanas

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

02:20 2:20 AM

1 h ahead of San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

38,168

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Ventanas 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Ventanas

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 Ventanas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 144%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose and $1,191 in Ventanas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ventanas, 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 $61.0 in San Jose and $53.0 in Ventanas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,938 in San Jose and $794 in Ventanas. That's a gap of about 144%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ventanas, where all-in costs run around $794, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Ventanas it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ventanas – 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 Ventanas. 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.