Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Upala

For one person, living is cheaper in Upala: $1,431 a month against $1,739 in San Ramon, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Upala
Learn more

Upala Living Index

Jump to prices

San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,739

/mo nomad

Upala

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,739 per month in San Ramon vs $1,431 in Upala, rent included.

San Ramon $1,739
Upala $1,431

A couple spends around $2,736 per month in San Ramon vs $2,262 in Upala, rent included.

San Ramon $2,736
Upala $2,262

A family of three spends $3,733 per month in San Ramon vs $3,092 in Upala, rent included.

San Ramon $3,733
Upala $3,092

San Ramon costs about 22% more than Upala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Ramon and Upala sit above the global median – San Ramon by 29%, Upala by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 ₡5,450

$12.11 ₡5,444

0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 ₡25.8K

$54.7 ₡24.6K

5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 ₡5,240

$11.83 ₡5,319

-1.52%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,850

$3.65 ₡1,641

12.60%

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

$2.65 ₡1,191

$1.81 ₡813

46.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.74 ₡784

5.75%

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

$4.46 ₡2,005

0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,076

$2.15 ₡967

11.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 ₡1,321

$1.70 ₡762

72.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,138

$2.48 ₡1,114

2.02%

Eggs

$5.03 ₡2,261

$2.67 ₡1,199

88.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 ₡4,901

$3.33 ₡1,496

227.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,724

$6.76 ₡3,041

55.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 ₡6,248

$8.75 ₡3,934

58.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 ₡2,236

$1.81 ₡815

174.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡703

$0.65 ₡291

140.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$2.87 ₡1,292

18.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,528

$2.71 ₡1,221

25.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 ₡1,413

$3.83 ₡1,724

-18.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,450

$2.72 ₡1,222

18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₡560

$1.12 ₡505

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,197

$2.69 ₡1,210

-1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 ₡2,623

$5.86 ₡2,637

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,276

$8.89 ₡3,999

82.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,173

$2.57 ₡1,156

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,237

$3.70 ₡1,662

-25.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡585

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.42 ₡1,087

3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.63 ₡733

-4.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,938

$6.64 ₡2,984

31.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.36 ₡612

10.29%

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

$33.9K ₡15.2M

$34.1K ₡15.4M

-0.86%

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

$41.2K ₡18.5M

$42.2K ₡19.0M

-2.31%

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

$145 ₡65.2K

$56.5 ₡25.4K

156.58%

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

$43.72 ₡19.7K

$36.32 ₡16.3K

20.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 ₡23.8K

$21.90 ₡9,847

141.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 ₡30.8K

$69.0 ₡31.0K

-0.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,559

$7.67 ₡3,447

3.13%

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

$850 ₡382.3K

$981 ₡441.3K

-13.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

1.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡31.8K

$33.10 ₡14.9K

113.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$22.18 ₡9,975

151.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.6K

$129 ₡57.9K

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₡58.2K

$32.58 ₡14.6K

297.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 ₡361.7K

$796 ₡357.8K

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₡279.4K

$644 ₡289.4K

-3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 ₡868.1K

$1,869 ₡840.6K

3.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 ₡567.3K

$1,238 ₡556.8K

1.87%

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 Upala: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Ramon

$621 35.7%

Upala

$644 45% 3.6% $22

Groceries & Markets

San Ramon

$379 21.8%

Upala

$259 18.1% 31.7% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Ramon

$242 13.9%

Upala

$115 8% 52.5% $127

Eating Out

San Ramon

$224 12.9%

Upala

$216 15.1% 3.7% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Ramon

$173 9.9%

Upala

$97 6.8% 43.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

San Ramon

$84 4.8%

Upala

$84 5.9% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

San Ramon

$15 * 0.9%

Upala

$16 * 1.1% 2.3% $0.3

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 $796 in Upala. 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 $55 in Upala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $259 – making Upala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🇨🇷 Upala

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

Same time as San Ramon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

15,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Ramon Upala 110 km

From you

San Ramon
Upala

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 Upala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,739 in San Ramon, $1,431 in Upala – Upala comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,608 per month in San Ramon and $2,146 in Upala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $804 in San Ramon and $796 in Upala. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,739 in San Ramon and $1,431 in Upala. That makes Upala about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $850 per month in San Ramon and $981 in Upala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,739 in San Ramon and $1,431 in Upala. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Ramon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,431 in Upala to $1,739 in San Ramon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.