Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and San Juan, Costa Rica

For one person, living costs are similar in San Ramon and in San Juan: $1,739 and $1,723 a month, rent and utilities included.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,739

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,739 in San Ramon versus $1,723 in San Juan.

San Ramon $1,739
San Juan $1,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in San Ramon versus $2,746 in San Juan.

San Ramon $2,736
San Juan $2,746

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,733 in San Ramon versus $3,770 in San Juan.

San Ramon $3,733
San Juan $3,770

Monthly costs are close between San Ramon and San Juan; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Ramon 29% above, San Juan 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 ₡5,450

$12.46 ₡5,602

-2.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 ₡25.8K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 ₡5,240

$11.85 ₡5,331

-1.69%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,850

$4.35 ₡1,956

-5.52%

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

$2.65 ₡1,191

$2.75 ₡1,238

-3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.90 ₡855

-3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₡1,450

$3.34 ₡1,502

-3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,011

$4.52 ₡2,035

-1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,076

$2.33 ₡1,047

2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 ₡1,321

$3.11 ₡1,400

-5.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,138

$2.44 ₡1,096

3.69%

Eggs

$5.03 ₡2,261

$3.48 ₡1,565

44.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 ₡4,901

$10.66 ₡4,794

2.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,724

$10.52 ₡4,731

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 ₡6,248

$13.99 ₡6,291

-0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 ₡2,236

$5.03 ₡2,264

-1.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.59 ₡715

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$4.78 ₡2,149

-29.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,528

$3.81 ₡1,713

-10.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 ₡1,413

$3.89 ₡1,748

-19.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,450

$3.76 ₡1,690

-14.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₡560

$1.12 ₡504

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,197

$3.10 ₡1,393

-14.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 ₡2,623

$5.86 ₡2,635

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,276

$19.61 ₡8,820

-17.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,173

$2.86 ₡1,287

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,237

$3.59 ₡1,613

-23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡585

$1.35 ₡605

-3.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.42 ₡1,087

3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.56 ₡699

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,938

$8.62 ₡3,877

1.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.58 ₡711

-5.06%

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

$33.9K ₡15.2M

$34.4K ₡15.5M

-1.60%

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

$41.2K ₡18.5M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-0.18%

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

$145 ₡65.2K

$95.5 ₡43.0K

51.84%

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

$43.72 ₡19.7K

$35.02 ₡15.7K

24.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 ₡23.8K

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 ₡30.8K

$67.0 ₡30.1K

2.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,559

$7.71 ₡3,469

2.59%

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

$850 ₡382.3K

$980 ₡440.7K

-13.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

1.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡31.8K

$72.1 ₡32.4K

-1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$56.2 ₡25.3K

-0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.6K

$129 ₡58.2K

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₡58.2K

$134 ₡60.1K

-3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 ₡361.7K

$798 ₡358.8K

0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₡279.4K

$627 ₡282.1K

-0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 ₡868.1K

$1,922 ₡864.2K

0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 ₡567.3K

$1,287 ₡578.7K

-1.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 ₡521.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 ₡523.8K

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 San Juan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Ramon

$621 35.7%

San Juan

$627 36.4% 0.9% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

San Ramon

$379 21.8%

San Juan

$399 23.2% 5.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Ramon

$242 13.9%

San Juan

$191 11.1% 21.1% $51

Eating Out

San Ramon

$224 12.9%

San Juan

$232 13.5% 3.3% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

San Ramon

$173 9.9%

San Juan

$176 10.2% 1.9% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

San Ramon

$84 4.8%

San Juan

$82 4.8% 2.1% $1.8

Getting Around

San Ramon

$15 * 0.9%

San Juan

$16 * 0.9% 1% $0.2

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 $798 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57 in San Ramon vs $61 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $399 per month, with San Ramon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🇨🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

Same time as San Ramon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

27,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Ramon San Juan 45 km

From you

San Ramon
San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $2,608 in San Ramon and $2,584 in San Juan 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 $798 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $850 in San Ramon versus $980 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Ramon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though San Juan 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 San Juan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.