Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Villavicencio and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Villavicencio: $1,322 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Villavicencio
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Villavicencio Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Villavicencio

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,322

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,322 per month in Villavicencio vs $1,938 in San Jose, rent included.

Villavicencio $1,322
San Jose $1,938

A couple spends around $1,988 per month in Villavicencio vs $2,936 in San Jose, rent included.

Villavicencio $1,988
San Jose $2,936

A family of three spends $2,655 per month in Villavicencio vs $3,934 in San Jose, rent included.

Villavicencio $2,655
San Jose $3,934

Villavicencio is about 32% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Villavicencio sits 2% below the global median, while San Jose is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.60 COP 24.1K

$12.38 ₡5,551

-38.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.13 COP 133.6K

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-30.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 COP 32.2K

$11.45 ₡5,135

-11.27%

Cappuccino

$2.58 COP 8,167

$4.39 ₡1,967

-41.23%

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

$1.38 COP 4,371

$2.70 ₡1,211

-48.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,709

$1.93 ₡864

-55.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 COP 6,592

$3.20 ₡1,433

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.41 ₡1,979

-10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 COP 5,351

$2.44 ₡1,093

-30.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 7,993

$3.05 ₡1,369

-17.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,355

$2.41 ₡1,081

-29.88%

Eggs

$3.35 COP 10.6K

$3.40 ₡1,523

-1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 COP 24.9K

$10.75 ₡4,823

-26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 COP 23.9K

$10.43 ₡4,679

-27.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 COP 31.2K

$13.99 ₡6,273

-29.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.3K

$5.25 ₡2,353

-31.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 COP 5,807

$1.59 ₡712

15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,048

$4.69 ₡2,103

-59.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 COP 5,715

$3.95 ₡1,770

-54.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,729

$3.92 ₡1,760

-61.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,372

$3.68 ₡1,651

-62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 COP 4,100

$1.12 ₡503

15.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,794

$3.19 ₡1,429

-62.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 COP 13.7K

$6.00 ₡2,692

-28.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.48 COP 39.6K

$19.56 ₡8,771

-36.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 COP 4,563

$2.82 ₡1,263

-48.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 COP 8,849

$3.59 ₡1,611

-22.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 COP 3,619

$1.12 ₡503

1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 COP 6,537

$2.50 ₡1,119

-17.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.32 COP 7,351

$1.63 ₡733

42.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 COP 29.2K

$8.50 ₡3,812

8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,198

$1.56 ₡701

-15.38%

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

$23.6K COP 74.8M

$22.4K ₡10.0M

5.33%

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

$36.1K COP 114.4M

$35.6K ₡16.0M

1.44%

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

$122 COP 386.9K

$95.2 ₡42.7K

28.16%

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

$16.15 COP 51.2K

$35.58 ₡16.0K

-54.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.25 COP 95.9K

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-48.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.45 COP 109.2K

$72.7 ₡32.6K

-52.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 COP 24.4K

$7.58 ₡3,401

1.72%

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

$503 COP 1.6M

$1,001 ₡449.0K

-49.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,429 COP 23.6M

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-56.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 COP 270.9K

$70.5 ₡31.6K

21.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.53 COP 153.9K

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-13.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 COP 454.0K

$130 ₡58.2K

10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 334.5K

$131 ₡58.7K

-19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 COP 2.1M

$927 ₡415.8K

-28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 COP 1.6M

$774 ₡347.2K

-35.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 COP 2.8M

$1,967 ₡882.0K

-55.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 COP 2.7M

$1,288 ₡577.6K

-34.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,129 COP 6.8M

$2,274 ₡1.0M

-6.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,771 COP 5.6M

$1,831 ₡821.0K

-3.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

8.62

48.61%

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

Last update for Villavicencio: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Villavicencio

$501 37.9%

San Jose

$774 40% 54.7% $274

Groceries & Markets

Villavicencio

$263 19.9%

San Jose

$401 20.7% 52.5% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Villavicencio

$172 13%

San Jose

$174 9% 1.1% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Villavicencio

$168 12.7%

San Jose

$189 9.8% 12.5% $21

Eating Out

Villavicencio

$149 11.3%

San Jose

$229 11.8% 53.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Villavicencio

$50 3.8%

San Jose

$88 4.5% 76.1% $38

Getting Around

Villavicencio

$18 * 1.4%

San Jose

$82 4.2% 350% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Villavicencio 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 $42.00 in Villavicencio versus $61.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $401 – making Villavicencio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Villavicencio

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

00:30 12:30 AM

1 h behind Villavicencio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

407,977

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Villavicencio San Jose 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Villavicencio
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

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

Yes – San Jose is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,983 per month in Villavicencio 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 Villavicencio, 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 $1,322 in Villavicencio and $1,938 in San Jose. That's a gap of about 47%.

Kindergarten costs $503 per month in Villavicencio 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Villavicencio, where all-in costs run around $1,322, than in San Jose at $1,938. In Villavicencio it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Villavicencio – 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 Villavicencio. 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.