Boston vs San Jose, Costa Rica - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3467
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7682
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$2394
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$3923
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$726
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5787
$923
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
100
60
😀 Quality of life
92
65
🏙️ Population
676K
342K

The cost of living in Boston is 180% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 32nd and 4497th ($3467 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 28th and 5th in the United States and Costa Rica, respectively. Check the United States vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Boston ranked 15th best city to live in the United States vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 89th and 4226th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Boston vs San Jose, Costa Rica infographic

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Prices in Boston vs San Jose, Costa Rica

Prices for goods and services in Boston and San Jose are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Boston San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.3
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$93.5
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.1
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.4
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$5.78
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.16
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2739
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2042
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4881
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3321
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$222
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68.4
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11569
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6730
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.4
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.95
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.86
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.86
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.4
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.07
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.14
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.77
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.47
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.74
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.72
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.4
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.76
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.03
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.1
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$164
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.7
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2437
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25118
$12846

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Boston

Distance City Cost of living
4 km or 2.5 mi Cambridge
$3756
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3040
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3647
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$2916
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3093
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$2932
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$3008
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2349
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$2951
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$2847
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$2913
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2826
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$2938
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2755
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2790
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2897
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3122
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2778
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2817
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$3172
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2735
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2869
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2797
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2746
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2846
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$2925
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$2920
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2773
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2869
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2443
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2798
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2804
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2878
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2848
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$3005
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2607
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2853
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2815
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2961
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2803

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1246
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1233
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$961
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1277
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1201
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1310
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$898
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1687
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$890
246 km or 153 mi David
$833
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$664
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$697
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$712
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$774
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$550
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1056
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$457
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$639
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1098
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$638
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1091
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1182
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$953
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1249
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1384
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1231
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1249
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$829
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1081
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1088
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$715
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$734
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1192
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1173
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1161
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1145
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1202
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$650
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$883