Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turrialba and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Turrialba: $1,726 a month against $1,924 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Turrialba
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Turrialba Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Turrialba

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,726

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,726 per month in Turrialba vs $1,924 in San Jose, rent included.

Turrialba $1,726
San Jose $1,924

A couple spends around $2,753 per month in Turrialba vs $2,926 in San Jose, rent included.

Turrialba $2,753
San Jose $2,926

A family of three spends $3,779 per month in Turrialba vs $3,929 in San Jose, rent included.

Turrialba $3,779
San Jose $3,929

Turrialba is about 10% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Turrialba and San Jose sit above the global median – Turrialba by 27%, San Jose by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 ₡5,370

$12.29 ₡5,513

-2.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$62.3 ₡27.9K

-2.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 ₡5,283

$11.53 ₡5,171

2.17%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,946

$4.35 ₡1,953

-0.23%

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

$2.75 ₡1,233

$2.64 ₡1,183

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡871

$1.86 ₡836

4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,488

$3.32 ₡1,490

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,973

$4.52 ₡2,026

-2.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.39 ₡1,073

-1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₡1,372

$3.08 ₡1,381

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,134

$2.50 ₡1,119

1.20%

Eggs

$3.60 ₡1,612

$3.48 ₡1,562

3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,726

$10.74 ₡4,815

-1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,630

$10.32 ₡4,629

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ₡6,352

$14.10 ₡6,325

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ₡2,273

$5.03 ₡2,256

0.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.59 ₡714

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,124

$4.84 ₡2,171

-2.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 ₡1,782

$3.96 ₡1,776

0.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,754

$3.76 ₡1,684

3.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,663

$3.73 ₡1,674

-0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡505

$1.08 ₡485

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,431

$3.25 ₡1,456

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,724

$5.86 ₡2,627

3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.24 ₡9,076

$20.28 ₡9,095

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,274

$2.90 ₡1,300

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$3.73 ₡1,673

-3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ₡574

$1.08 ₡486

18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,101

$2.50 ₡1,123

-2.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.63 ₡732

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₡3,948

$8.71 ₡3,904

1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.58 ₡709

-5.06%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$33.6K ₡15.1M

-33.80%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$41.7K ₡18.7M

-17.08%

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

$96.4 ₡43.2K

$93.7 ₡42.0K

2.96%

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

$35.27 ₡15.8K

$35.42 ₡15.9K

-0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.5K

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 ₡33.0K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

1.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.83 ₡11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 ₡3,527

$7.74 ₡3,471

1.68%

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

$993 ₡445.3K

$1,005 ₡450.9K

-1.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.3K

$73.1 ₡32.8K

-1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.3K

$55.4 ₡24.9K

1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$130 ₡58.5K

2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ₡362.3K

$932 ₡418.0K

-13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡280.7K

$760 ₡340.8K

-17.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 ₡838.7K

$1,922 ₡862.0K

-2.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₡577.2K

$1,276 ₡572.1K

0.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,301 ₡1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,833 ₡821.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 ₡461.3K

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 Turrialba: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Turrialba

$626 36.3%

San Jose

$760 39.5% 21.4% $134

Groceries & Markets

Turrialba

$402 23.3%

San Jose

$403 21% 0.4% $1.5

Eating Out

Turrialba

$227 13.2%

San Jose

$229 11.9% 0.7% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turrialba

$191 11.1%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 1% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Turrialba

$176 10.2%

San Jose

$174 9.1% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Turrialba

$89 5.2%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 1.5% $1.3

Getting Around

Turrialba

$15 * 0.9%

San Jose

$80 4.2% 422% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $808 in Turrialba versus $932 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 $61.0 in Turrialba versus $62.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $403 – making Turrialba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Turrialba

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

Same time as Turrialba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,000

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Turrialba San Jose 44 km

From you

Turrialba
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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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,589 per month in Turrialba and $2,886 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Turrialba, 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 $1,726 in Turrialba and $1,924 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $993 per month in Turrialba and $1,005 in San Jose. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Turrialba, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in San Jose at $1,924. In Turrialba it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Turrialba. 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.