Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soledad and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Soledad: $1,307 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Soledad
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Soledad Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Soledad

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,307

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Soledad vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Soledad $1,307
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $2,057 per month in Soledad vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Soledad $2,057
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $2,806 per month in Soledad vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Soledad $2,806
San Jose $3,934

Soledad is about 33% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Soledad sits 3% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.83 COP 18.6K

$12.38 ₡5,562

-52.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.55 COP 135.3K

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-30.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 COP 31.9K

$11.45 ₡5,145

-12.40%

Cappuccino

$2.56 COP 8,136

$4.39 ₡1,971

-41.69%

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

$2.55 COP 8,119

$2.70 ₡1,213

-5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 COP 7,155

$1.93 ₡865

16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 COP 10.6K

$3.20 ₡1,436

4.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 COP 16.4K

$4.41 ₡1,982

16.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 COP 6,155

$2.44 ₡1,095

-20.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 COP 8,795

$3.05 ₡1,372

-9.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,543

$2.41 ₡1,083

-40.66%

Eggs

$4.98 COP 15.8K

$3.40 ₡1,526

46.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 COP 25.0K

$10.75 ₡4,832

-26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 31.0K

$10.43 ₡4,688

-6.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 COP 42.4K

$13.99 ₡6,286

-4.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 COP 11.0K

$5.25 ₡2,357

-34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,235

$1.59 ₡713

3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,361

$4.69 ₡2,107

-57.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,341

$3.95 ₡1,774

-57.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 COP 3,960

$3.92 ₡1,763

-68.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,330

$3.68 ₡1,655

-63.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,442

$1.12 ₡504

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,799

$3.19 ₡1,432

-62.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 COP 11.3K

$6.00 ₡2,697

-40.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 COP 45.6K

$19.56 ₡8,788

-26.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,477

$2.82 ₡1,266

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 COP 7,011

$3.59 ₡1,614

-38.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 COP 4,008

$1.12 ₡504

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 COP 5,017

$2.50 ₡1,121

-36.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 COP 11.6K

$1.63 ₡734

123.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.19 COP 29.2K

$8.50 ₡3,819

8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,240

$1.56 ₡702

-14.74%

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

$23.1K COP 73.5M

$22.4K ₡10.1M

3.13%

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

$34.0K COP 108.0M

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-4.53%

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

$79.3 COP 252.3K

$95.2 ₡42.8K

-16.70%

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

$11.95 COP 38.0K

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-66.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 COP 81.5K

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-56.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.77 COP 104.2K

$72.7 ₡32.7K

-54.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.2K

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 COP 25.6K

$7.58 ₡3,408

6.20%

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

$627 COP 2.0M

$1,001 ₡449.9K

-37.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,760 COP 18.3M

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-66.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 COP 295.3K

$70.5 ₡31.7K

31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.49 COP 154.2K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 COP 370.5K

$130 ₡58.3K

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 347.8K

$131 ₡58.8K

-16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 COP 2.0M

$927 ₡416.6K

-32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 COP 1.6M

$774 ₡347.9K

-34.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 COP 2.8M

$1,967 ₡883.7K

-55.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 COP 3.1M

$1,288 ₡578.7K

-24.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,768 COP 5.6M

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-22.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 COP 5.0M

$1,831 ₡822.6K

-13.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡456.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

74.01%

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

Last update for Soledad: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Soledad

$504 38.6%

San Jose

$774 40% 53.7% $271

Groceries & Markets

Soledad

$294 22.5%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 36.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Soledad

$165 12.6%

San Jose

$174 9% 5.4% $8.9

Eating Out

Soledad

$154 11.8%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 49.3% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Soledad

$117 8.9%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 62.1% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Soledad

$49 3.7%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 79.7% $39

Getting Around

Soledad

$25 * 1.9%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 230% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $629 in Soledad versus $927 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 $43.00 in Soledad versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $401 – making Soledad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Soledad

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

02:49 2:49 AM

1 h behind Soledad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,156

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Soledad San Jose 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Soledad
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,960 per month in Soledad and $2,907 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Soledad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,307 in Soledad and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 48%.

Kindergarten costs $627 per month in Soledad and $1,001 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Soledad, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Soledad it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Soledad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.