Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sherbrooke and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Sherbrooke: $1,844 a month against $2,107 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Sherbrooke
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Sherbrooke Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Sherbrooke

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,844

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sherbrooke 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 Sherbrooke and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Sherbrooke vs $2,107 in San Jose, rent included.

Sherbrooke $1,844
San Jose $2,107

A couple spends around $2,816 per month in Sherbrooke vs $3,081 in San Jose, rent included.

Sherbrooke $2,816
San Jose $3,081

A family of three spends $3,788 per month in Sherbrooke vs $4,054 in San Jose, rent included.

Sherbrooke $3,788
San Jose $4,054

Sherbrooke is about 13% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sherbrooke and San Jose sit above the global median – Sherbrooke by 36%, San Jose by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 CA$25.50

$12.37 ₡5,563

47.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 CA$93.7

$62.4 ₡28.0K

7.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.18

$11.71 ₡5,264

-7.51%

Cappuccino

$3.24 CA$4.54

$4.54 ₡2,040

-28.63%

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

$1.98 CA$2.78

$2.75 ₡1,238

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.56

$1.86 ₡837

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 CA$7.89

$3.35 ₡1,505

68.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 CA$7.15

$4.32 ₡1,944

18.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 CA$3.87

$2.36 ₡1,061

16.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$3.07 ₡1,379

-10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.09

$2.51 ₡1,128

44.62%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.40

$3.53 ₡1,585

-11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 CA$16.32

$10.54 ₡4,738

10.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.79 CA$15.13

$10.57 ₡4,754

2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 CA$22.95

$13.92 ₡6,261

17.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.80

$5.20 ₡2,338

-20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.06

$1.65 ₡740

-10.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.37

$4.89 ₡2,198

-21.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.88

$3.84 ₡1,728

-9.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CA$2.39

$3.91 ₡1,757

-56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$3.76 ₡1,692

-28.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 CA$2.54

$1.12 ₡504

61.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.54

$3.22 ₡1,447

-43.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 CA$17.29

$6.02 ₡2,706

104.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 CA$17.15

$19.84 ₡8,919

-38.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 CA$5.64

$2.81 ₡1,264

43.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.24

$3.65 ₡1,643

2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$1.08 ₡487

143.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$88.4

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-3.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 CA$5.14

$2.26 ₡1,018

62.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.11

$1.78 ₡799

-15.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.89 CA$46.11

$7.90 ₡3,551

316.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.77

$1.50 ₡673

-15.33%

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

$28.2K CA$39.6K

$33.5K ₡15.1M

-15.68%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$42.3K ₡19.0M

-50.23%

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

$71.5 CA$100

$93.2 ₡41.9K

-23.24%

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

$44.64 CA$62.6

$36.13 ₡16.2K

23.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.93 CA$68.6

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-19.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 CA$40.72

$68.9 ₡31.0K

-57.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.77 CA$9.49

$24.94 ₡11.2K

-72.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 CA$14.61

$7.67 ₡3,449

35.85%

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

$885 CA$1,240

$972 ₡436.9K

-8.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K CA$42.8K

$18.9K ₡8.5M

61.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 CA$92.4

$70.6 ₡31.8K

-6.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.03 CA$43.49

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-45.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 CA$89.4

$129 ₡57.8K

-50.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$173

$131 ₡58.8K

-5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 CA$1,444

$1,170 ₡525.9K

-11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 CA$1,082

$943 ₡424.1K

-18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 CA$2,472

$1,984 ₡892.0K

-11.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 CA$1,795

$1,400 ₡629.5K

-8.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,190 CA$3,070

$2,681 ₡1.2M

-18.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,797 CA$2,519

$2,037 ₡915.8K

-11.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,820 CA$3,953

$987 ₡443.6K

185.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

8.62

-44.78%

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

Last update for Sherbrooke: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sherbrooke

$772 41.9%

San Jose

$943 44.8% 22.2% $171

Groceries & Markets

Sherbrooke

$374 20.3%

San Jose

$403 19.1% 7.7% $29

Eating Out

Sherbrooke

$270 14.7%

San Jose

$232 11% 14.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sherbrooke

$165 9%

San Jose

$190 9% 15% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Sherbrooke

$128 6.9%

San Jose

$174 8.3% 36.2% $46

Getting Around

Sherbrooke

$85 4.6%

San Jose

$81 3.8% 4.7% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Sherbrooke

$50 2.7%

San Jose

$84 4% 68.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,030 in Sherbrooke 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.

Salaries in Sherbrooke are about 2.9 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Sherbrooke versus $62 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $374 in Sherbrooke vs $403 in San Jose – so Sherbrooke wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sherbrooke

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

1 h behind Sherbrooke

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

172,950

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sherbrooke San Jose 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sherbrooke
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

Sherbrooke vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,766 per month in Sherbrooke 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 Sherbrooke, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,030 there versus $1,170 in San Jose.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Sherbrooke and $62 in San Jose. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,844 in Sherbrooke and $2,107 in San Jose. That makes Sherbrooke about 13% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,844 in Sherbrooke and $2,107 in San Jose, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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