Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Costa Rica and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $895 a month against $1,723 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

San Juan, Costa Rica
Da Nang, Vietnam
San Juan
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,723
/mo nomad
Da Nang
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$895
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Da Nang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Juan and in Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,723 per month in San Juan vs $895 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • San Juan $1,723
  • Da Nang $895

A couple spends around $2,746 per month in San Juan vs $1,447 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • San Juan $2,746
  • Da Nang $1,447

A family of three spends $3,770 per month in San Juan vs $1,998 in Da Nang, rent included.

  • San Juan $3,770
  • Da Nang $1,998

San Juan costs about 92% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Juan sits 27% above the global median, while Da Nang is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.46 ₡5,602
$2.26 ₫58.2K
451.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 ₡27.4K
$19.09 ₫491.5K
218.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.85 ₡5,331
$4.56 ₫117.4K
159.87%
Cappuccino
$4.35 ₡1,956
$1.63 ₫42.0K
166.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ₡1,238
$0.61 ₫15.7K
350.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 ₡855
$0.33 ₫8,400
475.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 ₡1,502
$1.34 ₫34.4K
149.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 ₡2,035
$2.26 ₫58.3K
100.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.33 ₡1,047
$1.56 ₫40.3K
49.36%
White Bread (500g)
$3.11 ₡1,400
$1.30 ₫33.5K
139.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 ₡1,096
$1.00 ₫25.7K
144.00%
Eggs
$3.48 ₡1,565
$1.58 ₫40.8K
120.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.66 ₡4,794
$13.14 ₫338.3K
-18.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,731
$4.22 ₫108.6K
149.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 ₡6,291
$8.70 ₫224.0K
60.80%
Apples (1kg)
$5.03 ₡2,264
$2.86 ₫73.6K
75.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 ₡715
$1.23 ₫31.6K
29.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.78 ₡2,149
$1.38 ₫35.6K
246.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.81 ₡1,713
$1.59 ₫40.9K
139.62%
Potato (1kg)
$3.89 ₡1,748
$1.17 ₫30.0K
232.48%
Onion (1kg)
$3.76 ₡1,690
$1.25 ₫32.2K
200.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ₡504
$0.96 ₫24.7K
16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₡1,393
$0.51 ₫13.0K
507.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.86 ₡2,635
$1.52 ₫39.1K
285.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.61 ₡8,820
$7.55 ₫194.3K
159.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 ₡1,287
$0.94 ₫24.2K
204.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 ₡1,613
$2.41 ₫62.1K
48.96%
🚌 Getting Around
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 ₡605
$0.32 ₫8,300
321.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$6.71 ₫172.8K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ₡1,087
$1.02 ₫26.3K
137.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡699
$0.47 ₫12.0K
231.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.62 ₡3,877
$10.48 ₫269.8K
-17.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 ₡711
$0.99 ₫25.5K
59.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K ₡15.5M
$30.8K ₫792.9M
11.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.3K ₡18.6M
$28.4K ₫731.1M
45.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.5 ₡43.0K
$85.8 ₫2.2M
11.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.02 ₡15.7K
$6.87 ₫177.0K
409.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.1 ₡27.0K
$9.20 ₫237.0K
553.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.0 ₡30.1K
$27.37 ₫704.7K
144.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$5.50 ₫141.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.71 ₡3,469
$3.47 ₫89.2K
122.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$980 ₡440.7K
$459 ₫11.8M
113.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.2K ₡7.7M
$20.2K ₫519.4M
-14.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 ₡32.4K
$41.42 ₫1.1M
74.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.2 ₡25.3K
$27.37 ₫704.9K
105.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 ₡58.2K
$120 ₫3.1M
7.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 ₡60.1K
$81.0 ₫2.1M
65.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$798 ₡358.8K
$543 ₫14.0M
46.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 ₡282.1K
$359 ₫9.2M
74.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,922 ₡864.2K
$1,141 ₫29.4M
68.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 ₡578.7K
$830 ₫21.4M
55.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,798 ₫97.8M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,854 ₫47.7M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Juan
Da Nang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$429 ₫11.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
10.72
-19.59%

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

Last update for San Juan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Juan
$627
Da Nang
$359 42.8% $269
Groceries & Markets
San Juan
$399
Da Nang
$201 49.6% $198
Eating Out
San Juan
$232
Da Nang
$66 71.4% $165
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan
$191
Da Nang
$102 46.6% $89
Clothing & Footwear
San Juan
$176
Da Nang
$122 31% $55
Sport & Entertainment
San Juan
$82
Da Nang
$34 58.4% $48
Getting Around
San Juan
$16 *
Da Nang
$11 27.1% $4.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in San Juan versus $543 in Da Nang. 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 Juan versus $19 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $201 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Juan
🇻🇳 Da Nang
🕒 Local time
12:41 12:41 PM
01:41 1:41 AM
13 h ahead of San Juan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,000
1,245,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 25,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,829 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Juan Da Nang 16,820 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Juan
  • Da Nang

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 Juan vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in San Juan and in Da Nang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,723 in San Juan, $895 in Da Nang – Da Nang comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in San Juan compared to Da Nang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,584 per month in San Juan and $1,343 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between San Juan and Da Nang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $543 there versus $798 in San Juan.
Which city is more expensive overall: San Juan or Da Nang?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,723 in San Juan and $895 in Da Nang. That makes Da Nang about 48% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between San Juan and Da Nang?
Kindergarten costs $980 per month in San Juan and $459 in Da Nang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $895, than in San Juan at $1,723. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: San Juan or Da Nang?
Families tend to lean toward Da Nang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is San Juan or Da Nang safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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