Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Teresa and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,530 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
Learn more

Santa Teresa Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
Learn more

San Jose Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,530

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Teresa and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,530 per month in Santa Teresa vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Teresa $1,530
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,295 per month in Santa Teresa vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Teresa $2,295
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,061 per month in Santa Teresa vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Santa Teresa $3,061
San Jose $4,054

Santa Teresa is about 27% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santa Teresa and San Jose sit above the global median – Santa Teresa by 13%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ₡4,459

$12.37 ₡5,573

-19.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.31 ₡19.1K

$62.4 ₡28.1K

-32.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 ₡4,374

$11.71 ₡5,273

-17.08%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₡1,667

$4.54 ₡2,044

-18.50%

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

$2.04 ₡917

$2.75 ₡1,240

-25.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡735

$1.86 ₡839

-12.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 ₡1,366

$3.35 ₡1,508

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,048

$4.32 ₡1,948

5.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡925

$2.36 ₡1,062

-13.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 ₡1,270

$3.07 ₡1,382

-8.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ₡972

$2.51 ₡1,130

-13.94%

Eggs

$2.98 ₡1,344

$3.53 ₡1,588

-15.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 ₡4,509

$10.54 ₡4,747

-5.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 ₡4,042

$10.57 ₡4,763

-15.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 ₡6,127

$13.92 ₡6,272

-2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ₡2,052

$5.20 ₡2,342

-12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡651

$1.65 ₡742

-12.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 ₡1,856

$4.89 ₡2,202

-15.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,385

$3.84 ₡1,731

-20.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.91 ₡1,760

-13.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ₡1,161

$3.76 ₡1,695

-31.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡455

$1.12 ₡505

-9.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,282

$3.22 ₡1,450

-11.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,292

$6.02 ₡2,711

-15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 ₡6,211

$19.84 ₡8,935

-30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,063

$2.81 ₡1,267

-16.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ₡1,179

$3.65 ₡1,646

-28.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₡433

$1.08 ₡488

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.26 ₡1,020

-18.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 ₡826

$1.78 ₡801

2.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 ₡3,580

$7.90 ₡3,558

0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡659

$1.50 ₡674

-2.67%

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

$38.4K ₡17.3M

$33.5K ₡15.1M

14.68%

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

$32.7K ₡14.7M

$42.3K ₡19.1M

-22.61%

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

$84.9 ₡38.2K

$93.2 ₡42.0K

-8.90%

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

$26.16 ₡11.8K

$36.13 ₡16.3K

-27.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 ₡22.7K

$60.6 ₡27.3K

-16.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 ₡22.6K

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-27.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.66 ₡10.7K

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-5.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ₡4,004

$7.67 ₡3,455

15.91%

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

$573 ₡257.9K

$972 ₡437.7K

-41.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ₡5.6M

$18.9K ₡8.5M

-34.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ₡27.8K

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 ₡23.0K

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-9.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.4K

$129 ₡57.9K

-0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.0K

$131 ₡58.9K

-18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 ₡318.2K

$1,170 ₡526.8K

-39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 ₡266.6K

$943 ₡424.9K

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 ₡657.9K

$1,984 ₡893.6K

-26.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 ₡430.0K

$1,400 ₡630.7K

-31.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,037 ₡917.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$987 ₡444.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

8.62

17.98%

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

Last update for Santa Teresa: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Teresa

$592 38.7%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 59.4% $351

Groceries & Markets

Santa Teresa

$346 22.6%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 16.2% $56

Eating Out

Santa Teresa

$192 12.5%

San Jose

$232 11% 21.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Teresa

$161 10.6%

San Jose

$190 9% 17.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Teresa

$156 10.2%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 11.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4%

San Jose

$84 4% 24.2% $16

Getting Around

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 443% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $706 in Santa Teresa versus $1,170 in San Jose. 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 $42 in Santa Teresa versus $62 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $403 – making Santa Teresa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

Same time as Santa Teresa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,099

342,188 Capital

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Teresa San Jose 120 km

From you

Santa Teresa
San Jose

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

Santa Teresa vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,295 per month in Santa Teresa and $3,161 in San Jose. 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 $1,170 in San Jose.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,530 in Santa Teresa and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes Santa Teresa about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $573 per month in Santa Teresa and $972 in San Jose. 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 $1,530 in Santa Teresa and $2,107 in San Jose. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Teresa costs $1,530 versus $2,107 in San Jose. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.