Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Santa Ana, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ramon: $1,729 a month against $2,000 in Santa Ana, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Ramon, Costa Rica
Santa Ana, Costa Rica
San Ramon
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,729
/mo nomad
Santa Ana
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$2,000
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Ramon and in Santa Ana

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

A single person spends $1,729 per month in San Ramon vs $2,000 in Santa Ana, rent included.

  • San Ramon $1,729
  • Santa Ana $2,000

A couple spends around $2,722 per month in San Ramon vs $3,255 in Santa Ana, rent included.

  • San Ramon $2,722
  • Santa Ana $3,255

A family of three spends $3,715 per month in San Ramon vs $4,510 in Santa Ana, rent included.

  • San Ramon $3,715
  • Santa Ana $4,510

San Ramon is about 14% cheaper than Santa Ana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both San Ramon and Santa Ana sit above the global median – San Ramon by 27%, Santa Ana by 47%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.18 ₡5,500
$12.14 ₡5,481
0.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.9 ₡27.9K
$62.0 ₡28.0K
-0.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.69 ₡5,276
$11.85 ₡5,349
-1.35%
Cappuccino
$3.82 ₡1,726
$4.52 ₡2,039
-15.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 ₡996
$2.23 ₡1,007
-0.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 ₡884
$1.33 ₡602
47.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.01 ₡1,357
$3.38 ₡1,527
-10.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 ₡2,126
$4.37 ₡1,971
7.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.39 ₡1,077
$2.26 ₡1,020
5.75%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 ₡1,371
$3.13 ₡1,414
-2.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,141
$2.50 ₡1,126
1.20%
Eggs
$5.07 ₡2,288
$3.58 ₡1,618
41.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.78 ₡4,869
$10.75 ₡4,854
0.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.31 ₡4,654
$10.63 ₡4,798
-3.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.28 ₡6,446
$13.92 ₡6,283
2.59%
Apples (1kg)
$4.99 ₡2,253
$5.03 ₡2,271
-0.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 ₡700
$1.65 ₡745
-6.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 ₡1,471
$4.71 ₡2,127
-30.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.42 ₡1,546
$3.92 ₡1,770
-12.76%
Potato (1kg)
$3.19 ₡1,442
$3.77 ₡1,703
-15.38%
Onion (1kg)
$3.22 ₡1,452
$3.62 ₡1,635
-11.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 ₡547
$1.12 ₡504
8.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 ₡1,236
$1.85 ₡837
48.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.56 ₡2,511
$5.77 ₡2,606
-3.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.31 ₡7,362
$17.73 ₡8,005
-8.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 ₡1,154
$2.81 ₡1,270
-8.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 ₡1,234
$2.65 ₡1,194
3.02%
🚌 Getting Around
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.30 ₡587
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.45 ₡1,108
$2.41 ₡1,086
1.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.56 ₡702
0.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.87 ₡4,005
$8.68 ₡3,917
2.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡700
$1.57 ₡711
-1.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.6M
$28.1K ₡12.7M
22.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.3K ₡18.7M
$37.6K ₡17.0M
10.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 ₡65.2K
$94.4 ₡42.6K
52.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.11 ₡19.9K
$33.36 ₡15.1K
32.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.9 ₡24.3K
$50.1 ₡22.6K
7.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.0 ₡26.6K
$158 ₡71.3K
-62.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.03 ₡9,945
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ₡3,526
$7.91 ₡3,570
-1.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$843 ₡380.8K
$993 ₡448.3K
-15.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.0K ₡7.7M
$17.1K ₡7.7M
-0.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.5 ₡31.8K
$65.7 ₡29.7K
7.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 ₡24.9K
$57.0 ₡25.7K
-2.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 ₡58.1K
$129 ₡58.2K
-0.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 ₡56.5K
$132 ₡59.6K
-5.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$816 ₡368.5K
$1,088 ₡491.4K
-25.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$626 ₡282.5K
$859 ₡388.0K
-27.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,903 ₡859.0K
$2,913 ₡1.3M
-34.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,249 ₡563.9K
$1,897 ₡856.3K
-34.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,145 ₡516.7K
$2,721 ₡1.2M
-57.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,156 ₡521.7K
$1,693 ₡764.4K
-31.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Ramon
Santa Ana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,418 ₡640.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
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 Santa Ana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Ramon
$626
Santa Ana
$859 37.4% $234
Groceries & Markets
San Ramon
$380
Santa Ana
$379 0.4% $1.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Ramon
$242
Santa Ana
$178 26.6% $65
Eating Out
San Ramon
$220
Santa Ana
$227 3.3% $7.3
Clothing & Footwear
San Ramon
$171
Santa Ana
$173 1% $1.8
Sport & Entertainment
San Ramon
$75
Santa Ana
$174 133% $99
Getting Around
San Ramon
$16 *
Santa Ana
$10 * 34.3% $5.3

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 $1,088 in Santa Ana. 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 $62 in Santa Ana. Groceries tell a different story – $380 in San Ramon vs $379 in Santa Ana – so Santa Ana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 San Ramon
🇨🇷 Santa Ana
🕒 Local time
21:57 9:57 PM
21:57 9:57 PM
Same time as San Ramon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,000
13,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
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  • San Ramon Santa Ana 36 km
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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 Santa Ana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in San Ramon and in Santa Ana compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,729 in San Ramon, $2,000 in Santa Ana – San Ramon comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in San Ramon compared to Santa Ana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,593 per month in San Ramon and $3,000 in Santa Ana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between San Ramon and Santa Ana?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Ramon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $816 there versus $1,088 in Santa Ana.
Which city is more expensive overall: San Ramon or Santa Ana?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,729 in San Ramon and $2,000 in Santa Ana. That makes San Ramon about 14% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between San Ramon and Santa Ana?
Kindergarten costs $843 per month in San Ramon and $993 in Santa Ana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in San Ramon compared to Santa Ana?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,729 in San Ramon and $2,000 in Santa Ana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: San Ramon or Santa Ana?
Families tend to lean toward San Ramon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is San Ramon or Santa Ana 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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