Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Victoria

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose: $1,949 a month against $2,574 in Victoria, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in San Jose vs $2,574 in Victoria, rent included.

San Jose $1,949
Victoria $2,574

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in San Jose vs $3,856 in Victoria, rent included.

San Jose $2,903
Victoria $3,856

A family of three spends $3,857 per month in San Jose vs $5,138 in Victoria, rent included.

San Jose $3,857
Victoria $5,138

San Jose is about 24% cheaper than Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Jose and Victoria sit above the global median – San Jose by 45%, Victoria by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,510

$18.98 CA$27.06

-35.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡27.1K

$70.0 CA$99.7

-14.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 ₡5,305

$10.84 CA$15.46

8.58%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,939

$4.21 CA$6.00

2.14%

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

$2.72 ₡1,226

$2.21 CA$3.15

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.80 CA$2.57

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,480

$5.69 CA$8.11

-42.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,966

$6.47 CA$9.23

-32.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,074

$2.65 CA$3.78

-10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,408

$2.89 CA$4.12

7.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$3.96 CA$5.65

-39.14%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$4.04 CA$5.76

-14.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 ₡4,767

$26.77 CA$38.16

-60.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,758

$12.55 CA$17.89

-15.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 ₡6,196

$14.51 CA$20.68

-5.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 ₡2,274

$3.99 CA$5.69

26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡727

$1.43 CA$2.04

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,069

$3.82 CA$5.45

20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.13 CA$5.89

-7.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,700

$3.54 CA$5.04

6.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,693

$2.93 CA$4.18

28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$3.18 CA$4.53

-64.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,441

$2.55 CA$3.63

25.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 ₡2,632

$15.02 CA$21.41

-61.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 ₡8,897

$17.86 CA$25.46

10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$4.00 CA$5.70

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₡1,650

$3.43 CA$4.89

6.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$2.04 CA$2.90

-45.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ₡29.4K

$58.5 CA$83.4

11.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.67 CA$3.81

-7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡692

$1.52 CA$2.17

1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,815

$33.48 CA$47.72

-74.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.35 CA$1.93

14.81%

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

$21.7K ₡9.8M

$27.7K CA$39.5K

-21.78%

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

$34.9K ₡15.7M

$18.5K CA$26.3K

88.95%

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

$94.7 ₡42.7K

$105 CA$150

-10.25%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$44.49 CA$63.4

-21.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$61.5 CA$87.6

-4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$42.45 CA$60.5

69.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 ₡11.4K

$17.27 CA$24.62

45.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 ₡3,532

$10.68 CA$15.22

-26.69%

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

$971 ₡437.9K

$878 CA$1,251

10.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$23.2K CA$33.1K

-26.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.3K

$53.2 CA$75.8

34.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$44.19 CA$63.0

24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$89.8 CA$128

43.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$109 CA$155

22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 ₡420.9K

$1,522 CA$2,170

-38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₡347.2K

$1,326 CA$1,890

-41.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 ₡876.7K

$2,683 CA$3,825

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 ₡593.5K

$2,261 CA$3,222

-41.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₡1.0M

$5,368 CA$7,651

-57.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,795 ₡809.1K

$4,469 CA$6,370

-59.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 ₡453.5K

$3,202 CA$4,564

-68.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.31

100.00%

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

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Last update for Victoria: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$770 39.9%

Victoria

$1.3K 51.7% 72.2% $556

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$399 20.7%

Victoria

$461 18% 15.5% $62

Eating Out

San Jose

$228 11.8%

Victoria

$292 11.4% 28.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$188 9.8%

Victoria

$211 8.2% 12.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$175 9.1%

Victoria

$133 5.2% 23.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.6%

Victoria

$64 2.5% 27.3% $24

Getting Around

San Jose

$80 4.1%

Victoria

$77 3% 3.4% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Jose versus $1,522 in Victoria. 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 218% higher in Victoria, 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 $70.0 in Victoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $461 – making San Jose the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇦 Victoria

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

1 h behind San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

85,792

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose Victoria 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Jose
Victoria

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Victoria is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in San Jose and $3,862 in Victoria. 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 $70.0 in Victoria. 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 $2,574 in Victoria. That's a gap of about 32%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Jose, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Victoria at $2,574. In San Jose it covers expenses comfortably, while in Victoria 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, Victoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.