Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ramon: $1,739 a month against $1,934 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,739

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Ramon and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,739 in San Ramon versus $1,934 in Escazu.

San Ramon $1,739
Escazu $1,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in San Ramon versus $2,959 in Escazu.

San Ramon $2,736
Escazu $2,959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,733 in San Ramon versus $3,984 in Escazu.

San Ramon $3,733
Escazu $3,984

Living in San Ramon costs roughly 10% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Ramon 29% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 ₡5,448

$12.06 ₡5,423

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 ₡25.8K

$61.8 ₡27.8K

-7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 ₡5,237

$11.76 ₡5,287

-0.94%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,849

$4.49 ₡2,020

-8.46%

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

$2.65 ₡1,191

$2.66 ₡1,195

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.91 ₡860

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₡1,450

$3.35 ₡1,504

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,010

$4.34 ₡1,952

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,076

$2.45 ₡1,100

-2.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 ₡1,321

$3.09 ₡1,389

-4.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,138

$2.50 ₡1,124

1.20%

Eggs

$5.03 ₡2,260

$3.45 ₡1,550

45.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 ₡4,899

$10.68 ₡4,803

2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,722

$10.28 ₡4,621

2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 ₡6,245

$14.14 ₡6,358

-1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 ₡2,235

$5.16 ₡2,322

-3.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.57 ₡704

-0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.23 ₡1,452

4.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,527

$3.00 ₡1,350

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 ₡1,412

$3.79 ₡1,702

-17.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,450

$3.73 ₡1,675

-13.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₡559

$0.99 ₡446

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,196

$1.68 ₡754

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 ₡2,622

$5.48 ₡2,462

6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,272

$18.92 ₡8,505

-14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,172

$1.68 ₡754

55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,237

$2.77 ₡1,245

-0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡584

$1.05 ₡471

23.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.05 ₡922

21.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.86 ₡834

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,936

$8.09 ₡3,636

8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.48 ₡664

1.35%

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

$33.9K ₡15.2M

$28.0K ₡12.6M

21.12%

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

$41.2K ₡18.5M

$36.6K ₡16.4M

12.72%

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

$145 ₡65.2K

$94.5 ₡42.5K

53.46%

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

$43.72 ₡19.7K

$29.94 ₡13.5K

46.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 ₡23.8K

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-9.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 ₡30.7K

$105 ₡47.3K

-35.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 ₡4,411

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,558

$7.66 ₡3,445

3.26%

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

$850 ₡382.1K

$458 ₡206.0K

85.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡31.8K

$71.8 ₡32.3K

-1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$54.9 ₡24.7K

1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.6K

$128 ₡57.3K

0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₡58.2K

$133 ₡59.6K

-2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 ₡361.5K

$866 ₡389.1K

-7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₡279.3K

$848 ₡381.2K

-26.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 ₡867.7K

$1,929 ₡867.0K

0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 ₡567.0K

$1,501 ₡674.7K

-15.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 ₡521.1K

$1,404 ₡630.9K

-17.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 ₡523.5K

$969 ₡435.8K

20.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,792 ₡805.4K

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 Ramon: November 2, 2026

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Ramon

$621 35.7%

Escazu

$848 43.9% 36.5% $227

Groceries & Markets

San Ramon

$379 21.8%

Escazu

$363 18.8% 4.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Ramon

$242 13.9%

Escazu

$183 9.5% 24.3% $59

Eating Out

San Ramon

$224 12.9%

Escazu

$229 11.9% 2.3% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

San Ramon

$173 9.9%

Escazu

$174 9% 0.7% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Ramon

$84 4.8%

Escazu

$121 6.2% 43.2% $36

Getting Around

San Ramon

$15 * 0.9%

Escazu

$16 * 0.8% 0.6% $0.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $804 in San Ramon and $866 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57 in San Ramon vs $62 in Escazu. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $363, with Escazu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

Same time as San Ramon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

11,984

💱 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

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San Ramon Escazu 41 km

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San Ramon
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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 Ramon vs Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Ramon is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,608 in San Ramon and $2,900 in Escazu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $804 in San Ramon versus $866 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Escazu pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,739 per month in San Ramon versus $1,934 in Escazu – San Ramon is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though San Ramon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, San Ramon and Escazu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.