Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Santa Teresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,530 a month against $1,739 in San Ramon, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index

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San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,739

/mo nomad

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,739 per month in San Ramon vs $1,530 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

San Ramon $1,739
Santa Teresa $1,530

A couple spends around $2,736 per month in San Ramon vs $2,295 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

San Ramon $2,736
Santa Teresa $2,295

A family of three spends $3,733 per month in San Ramon vs $3,061 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

San Ramon $3,733
Santa Teresa $3,061

San Ramon costs about 14% more than Santa Teresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Ramon and Santa Teresa sit above the global median – San Ramon by 29%, Santa Teresa by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 ₡5,459

$9.90 ₡4,459

22.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 ₡25.9K

$42.31 ₡19.1K

35.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 ₡5,248

$9.71 ₡4,374

19.98%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,853

$3.70 ₡1,667

11.08%

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

$2.65 ₡1,193

$2.04 ₡917

29.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.63 ₡735

12.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₡1,453

$3.03 ₡1,366

6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,014

$4.55 ₡2,048

-1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$2.05 ₡925

16.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 ₡1,324

$2.82 ₡1,270

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,140

$2.16 ₡972

17.13%

Eggs

$5.03 ₡2,265

$2.98 ₡1,344

68.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 ₡4,910

$10.01 ₡4,509

8.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,732

$8.97 ₡4,042

17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 ₡6,258

$13.60 ₡6,127

2.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 ₡2,240

$4.56 ₡2,052

8.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡704

$1.44 ₡651

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,529

$4.12 ₡1,856

-17.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,530

$3.07 ₡1,385

10.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 ₡1,415

$3.39 ₡1,526

-7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,453

$2.58 ₡1,161

24.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₡561

$1.01 ₡455

22.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,199

$2.85 ₡1,282

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 ₡2,628

$5.09 ₡2,292

14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,288

$13.79 ₡6,211

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,175

$2.36 ₡1,063

10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,239

$2.62 ₡1,179

4.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡586

$0.96 ₡433

35.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$1.84 ₡830

35.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.83 ₡826

-15.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,944

$7.95 ₡3,580

10.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

$1.46 ₡659

2.74%

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

$33.9K ₡15.2M

$38.4K ₡17.3M

-11.81%

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

$41.2K ₡18.6M

$32.7K ₡14.7M

25.97%

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

$145 ₡65.3K

$84.9 ₡38.2K

70.87%

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

$43.72 ₡19.7K

$26.16 ₡11.8K

67.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 ₡23.9K

$50.4 ₡22.7K

5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 ₡30.8K

$50.1 ₡22.6K

36.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.66 ₡10.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,565

$8.89 ₡4,004

-11.02%

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

$850 ₡382.9K

$573 ₡257.9K

48.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$12.4K ₡5.6M

39.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡31.9K

$61.8 ₡27.8K

14.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.1K

$51.2 ₡23.0K

8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.7K

$127 ₡57.4K

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₡58.3K

$107 ₡48.0K

21.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 ₡362.3K

$706 ₡318.2K

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₡279.9K

$592 ₡266.6K

5.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 ₡869.5K

$1,461 ₡657.9K

32.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 ₡568.2K

$955 ₡430.0K

32.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,159 ₡522.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 ₡524.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.17

-15.24%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Ramon: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Teresa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Ramon

$621 35.7%

Santa Teresa

$592 38.7% 4.8% $30

Groceries & Markets

San Ramon

$379 21.8%

Santa Teresa

$346 22.6% 8.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Ramon

$242 13.9%

Santa Teresa

$161 10.6% 33.2% $80

Eating Out

San Ramon

$224 12.9%

Santa Teresa

$192 12.5% 14.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

San Ramon

$173 9.9%

Santa Teresa

$156 10.2% 9.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

San Ramon

$84 4.8%

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4% 19.4% $16

Getting Around

San Ramon

$15 * 0.9%

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1% 3.7% $0.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $804 in San Ramon versus $706 in Santa Teresa. 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 $57 in San Ramon versus $42 in Santa Teresa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $346 – making Santa Teresa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

Same time as San Ramon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

3,099

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Teresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,739 in San Ramon, $1,530 in Santa Teresa – Santa Teresa comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,608 per month in San Ramon and $2,295 in Santa Teresa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Teresa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $706 there versus $804 in San Ramon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,739 in San Ramon and $1,530 in Santa Teresa. That makes Santa Teresa about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $850 per month in San Ramon and $573 in Santa Teresa. 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 $1,739 in San Ramon and $1,530 in Santa Teresa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.