Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, Costa Rica and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,769 a month against $2,105 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,769

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,769 per month in San Rafael vs $2,105 in San Jose, rent included.

San Rafael $1,769
San Jose $2,105

A couple spends around $2,849 per month in San Rafael vs $3,074 in San Jose, rent included.

San Rafael $2,849
San Jose $3,074

A family of three spends $3,928 per month in San Rafael vs $4,043 in San Jose, rent included.

San Rafael $3,928
San Jose $4,043

San Rafael is about 16% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.08 ₡5,435

$12.43 ₡5,590

-2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 ₡5,164

$11.72 ₡5,270

-2.05%

Cappuccino

$4.55 ₡2,045

$4.47 ₡2,012

1.79%

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

$2.72 ₡1,224

$2.75 ₡1,237

-1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡871

$1.92 ₡864

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 ₡1,454

$3.26 ₡1,465

-0.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,047

$4.45 ₡2,002

2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,045

$2.36 ₡1,059

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,436

$3.09 ₡1,388

3.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,076

$2.40 ₡1,079

-0.42%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,603

$3.44 ₡1,548

3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.85 ₡4,879

$10.73 ₡4,824

1.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 ₡4,654

$10.36 ₡4,658

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 ₡6,319

$13.84 ₡6,222

1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 ₡2,373

$5.15 ₡2,315

2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₡710

$1.65 ₡743

-4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.85 ₡2,182

$4.67 ₡2,102

3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,731

$3.98 ₡1,792

-3.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₡1,747

$3.90 ₡1,755

-0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 ₡1,665

$3.65 ₡1,642

1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.08 ₡486

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₡1,429

$3.10 ₡1,393

2.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 ₡2,745

$6.08 ₡2,736

0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 ₡8,892

$20.05 ₡9,016

-1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,279

$2.77 ₡1,248

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₡1,637

$3.69 ₡1,660

-1.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡599

$1.12 ₡501

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ₡1,068

$2.49 ₡1,119

-4.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.63 ₡733

-4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₡3,981

$8.47 ₡3,808

4.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡678

$1.57 ₡705

-3.82%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-0.20%

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

$41.5K ₡18.7M

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-2.01%

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

$96.7 ₡43.5K

$93.2 ₡41.9K

3.76%

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

$36.26 ₡16.3K

$36.05 ₡16.2K

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.8K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

0.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 ₡32.0K

$69.0 ₡31.0K

3.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,513

$7.85 ₡3,531

-0.51%

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

$970 ₡436.4K

$996 ₡447.9K

-2.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

1.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ₡32.5K

$70.1 ₡31.5K

2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$55.2 ₡24.8K

1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.7K

$130 ₡58.3K

0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.0K

-0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ₡363.4K

$1,164 ₡523.4K

-30.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 ₡299.8K

$945 ₡424.9K

-29.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 ₡912.9K

$1,993 ₡896.4K

1.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ₡643.6K

$1,404 ₡631.3K

1.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ₡917.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,011 ₡454.5K

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 Rafael: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$667 37.7%

San Jose

$945 44.9% 41.7% $278

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$403 22.8%

San Jose

$399 19% 0.8% $3.1

Eating Out

San Rafael

$230 13%

San Jose

$232 11% 1.1% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$193 10.9%

San Jose

$188 9% 2.2% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$175 9.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 0.9% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$87 4.9%

San Jose

$85 4% 2.5% $2.2

Getting Around

San Rafael

$16 * 0.9%

San Jose

$82 3.9% 427% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $808 in San Rafael versus $1,164 in San Jose. 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 Rafael versus $61 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in San Rafael vs $399 in San Jose – so San Jose wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

Same time as San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Rafael San Jose 6 km

From you

San Rafael
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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 Rafael vs San Jose: 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 $2,654 per month in San Rafael and $3,158 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $808 there versus $1,164 in San Jose.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,769 in San Rafael and $2,105 in San Jose. That makes San Rafael about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $970 per month in San Rafael and $996 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,769 in San Rafael and $2,105 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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