Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanacaste: $1,534 a month against $1,729 in San Ramon, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
Learn more

San Ramon Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

Jump to prices

San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,729

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,729 per month in San Ramon vs $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent included.

San Ramon $1,729
Guanacaste $1,534

A couple spends around $2,722 per month in San Ramon vs $2,421 in Guanacaste, rent included.

San Ramon $2,722
Guanacaste $2,421

A family of three spends $3,715 per month in San Ramon vs $3,307 in Guanacaste, rent included.

San Ramon $3,715
Guanacaste $3,307

San Ramon costs about 13% more than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Ramon and Guanacaste sit above the global median – San Ramon by 27%, Guanacaste by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,500

$10.77 ₡4,862

13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 ₡27.9K

$47.69 ₡21.5K

29.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 ₡5,276

$11.68 ₡5,272

0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,726

$4.44 ₡2,004

-13.96%

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

$2.21 ₡996

$2.70 ₡1,221

-18.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₡884

$1.93 ₡871

1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,357

$3.10 ₡1,399

-2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 ₡2,126

$4.47 ₡2,020

5.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,077

$2.04 ₡922

17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 ₡1,371

$3.19 ₡1,440

-4.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,141

$2.42 ₡1,091

4.55%

Eggs

$5.07 ₡2,288

$3.59 ₡1,619

41.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₡4,869

$5.63 ₡2,544

91.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 ₡4,654

$4.30 ₡1,943

139.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 ₡6,446

$11.09 ₡5,007

28.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 ₡2,253

$2.68 ₡1,210

86.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.57 ₡709

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 ₡1,471

$4.40 ₡1,989

-25.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,546

$1.53 ₡689

123.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,442

$3.86 ₡1,745

-17.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,452

$2.25 ₡1,017

43.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₡547

$0.90 ₡406

34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₡1,236

$3.07 ₡1,386

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 ₡2,511

$4.34 ₡1,959

28.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 ₡7,362

$20.25 ₡9,144

-19.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₡1,154

$2.80 ₡1,262

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₡1,234

$2.66 ₡1,202

2.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡587

$1.29 ₡584

0.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,108

$2.50 ₡1,128

-2.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.57 ₡707

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₡4,005

$8.85 ₡3,997

0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.57 ₡709

-1.27%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$33.7K ₡15.2M

2.33%

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

$41.3K ₡18.7M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

0.18%

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

$144 ₡65.2K

$93.5 ₡42.2K

54.44%

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

$44.11 ₡19.9K

$36.18 ₡16.3K

21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$32.69 ₡14.8K

64.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ₡26.6K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

-11.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,526

$7.85 ₡3,544

-0.51%

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

$843 ₡380.8K

$968 ₡437.0K

-12.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$17.5K ₡7.9M

-2.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.8K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

5.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 ₡24.9K

$44.53 ₡20.1K

24.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.1K

$86.6 ₡39.1K

48.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ₡56.5K

$78.2 ₡35.3K

60.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₡368.5K

$795 ₡359.0K

2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡282.5K

$620 ₡279.8K

0.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 ₡859.0K

$1,899 ₡857.1K

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 ₡563.9K

$1,279 ₡577.4K

-2.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,145 ₡516.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ₡521.7K

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Ramon

$626 36.2%

Guanacaste

$620 40.4% 0.9% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

San Ramon

$380 22%

Guanacaste

$312 20.4% 17.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Ramon

$242 14%

Guanacaste

$162 10.6% 33% $80

Eating Out

San Ramon

$220 12.7%

Guanacaste

$217 14.2% 0.9% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

San Ramon

$171 9.9%

Guanacaste

$124 8.1% 27.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

San Ramon

$75 4.3%

Guanacaste

$82 5.4% 10.1% $7.5

Getting Around

San Ramon

$16 * 0.9%

Guanacaste

$16 * 1% 0% $0

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $816 in San Ramon versus $795 in Guanacaste. 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 $62 in San Ramon versus $48 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $312 – making Guanacaste the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

Same time as San Ramon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

1,823

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Ramon Guanacaste 100 km

From you

San Ramon
Guanacaste

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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Ramon is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,593 per month in San Ramon and $2,301 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $816 in San Ramon and $795 in Guanacaste. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,729 in San Ramon and $1,534 in Guanacaste. That makes Guanacaste about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $843 per month in San Ramon and $968 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,729 in San Ramon and $1,534 in Guanacaste. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Guanacaste has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,534 in Guanacaste to $1,729 in San Ramon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.