Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Terrace and San Jose

For one person, living costs are similar in Terrace and in San Jose: $1,887 and $1,938 a month, rent and utilities included.

91

Cost of Living Index in Terrace
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Terrace Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Terrace

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,887

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Terrace vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Terrace $1,887
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $2,853 per month in Terrace vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Terrace $2,853
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $3,819 per month in Terrace vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Terrace $3,819
San Jose $3,934

Terrace is about 3% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Terrace and San Jose sit above the global median – Terrace by 40%, San Jose by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.53 CA$24.78

$12.38 ₡5,551

41.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 CA$113

$60.9 ₡27.3K

31.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 CA$13.95

$11.45 ₡5,135

-13.80%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.55

$4.39 ₡1,967

-10.48%

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

$2.09 CA$2.95

$2.70 ₡1,211

-22.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.93 ₡864

-16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 CA$7.34

$3.20 ₡1,433

62.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 CA$8.69

$4.41 ₡1,979

39.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.19

$2.44 ₡1,093

-7.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$3.05 ₡1,369

-13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.10 CA$7.21

$2.41 ₡1,081

111.62%

Eggs

$3.60 CA$5.10

$3.40 ₡1,523

5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 CA$12.45

$10.75 ₡4,823

-18.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.36 CA$21.71

$10.43 ₡4,679

47.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 CA$19.10

$13.99 ₡6,273

-3.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.73

$5.25 ₡2,353

-22.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.59 ₡712

-23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.23

$4.69 ₡2,103

-36.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.20

$3.95 ₡1,770

-7.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$3.92 ₡1,760

-19.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$3.68 ₡1,651

-14.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.36

$1.12 ₡503

111.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CA$1.43

$3.19 ₡1,429

-68.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.27 CA$15.94

$6.00 ₡2,692

87.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 CA$18.99

$19.56 ₡8,771

-31.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 CA$2.96

$2.82 ₡1,263

-25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$3.59 ₡1,611

-50.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.12 ₡503

23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.40 CA$44.40

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-52.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 CA$4.66

$2.50 ₡1,119

32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.63 ₡733

-7.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 CA$28.31

$8.50 ₡3,812

135.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.56 ₡701

-21.79%

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

$27.8K CA$39.3K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

24.08%

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

$18.7K CA$26.5K

$35.6K ₡16.0M

-47.38%

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

$93.2 CA$132

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-2.08%

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

$38.92 CA$55.0

$35.58 ₡16.0K

9.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 CA$82.5

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.14 CA$56.7

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-44.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.45 CA$23.26

$24.85 ₡11.1K

-33.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.91 CA$12.60

$7.58 ₡3,401

17.55%

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

$733 CA$1,037

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-26.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CA$18.9K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-21.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.65 CA$51.8

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-48.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 CA$42.82

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-45.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 CA$113

$130 ₡58.2K

-38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$147

$131 ₡58.7K

-20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 CA$1,402

$927 ₡415.8K

6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 CA$1,194

$774 ₡347.2K

9.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 CA$2,200

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-20.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 CA$1,874

$1,288 ₡577.6K

2.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,127 CA$5,835

$2,274 ₡1.0M

81.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,426 CA$4,843

$1,831 ₡821.0K

87.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,096 CA$4,376

$1,016 ₡455.8K

204.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

8.62

-41.42%

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

Last update for Terrace: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Terrace

$845 44.8%

San Jose

$774 40% 8.4% $71

Groceries & Markets

Terrace

$364 19.3%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 10.3% $37

Eating Out

Terrace

$270 14.3%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 15.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Terrace

$191 10.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 0.6% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Terrace

$113 6%

San Jose

$174 9% 54.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Terrace

$58 3.1%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 51.5% $30

Getting Around

Terrace

$48 2.5%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 71.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $992 in Terrace 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.

Salaries run about 205% higher in Terrace, 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 $80.0 in Terrace versus $61.0 in San Jose. Groceries tell a different story – $364 in Terrace vs $401 in San Jose – so Terrace wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Terrace

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

10:50 10:50 AM

1 h ahead of Terrace

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,443

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Terrace San Jose 6,310 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Terrace
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Terrace 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 Terrace, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Terrace and $61.0 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 $1,887 in Terrace and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 3%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Terrace, where all-in costs run around $1,887, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Terrace it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Terrace – 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 Terrace. 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.