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

Updated:

Livingcost

Cali San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$720
$1169
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1853
$3119
🏠 One person rent
$273
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$469
$1078
🍽️ Food expenses
$263
$471
🚐 Transport expenses
$109
$71.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$445
$877
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
19 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
45
60
😀 Quality of life
53
67
🏙️ Population
2.47M
342K

The cost of living in Cali is 38% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6693rd and 4518th ($720 vs $1169) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 10th and 3rd in Colombia and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Colombia vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.6 months in Cali compared to 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cali ranked 3rd best city to live in Colombia vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 6111th and 4043rd among best cities to live in the world.

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

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Prices in Cali vs San Jose, Costa Rica

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

Cali San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.67
$10.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$26.9
$51.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.66
$9.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.26
$3.31
☕ Cappuccino
$1.95
$4.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.87
$1.78
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$273
$597
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$188
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$529
$1266
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$339
$901
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$44.2
$42.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$68.8
$64.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$23.2
$40
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.55%
8.83%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1167
$1778
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1105
$1310
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.69
$0.88
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$19
$40.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$14.3
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.9
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.25
$1.96
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.44
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.23
$2.15
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.55
$3.59
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.52
$9.52
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.69
$9.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.27
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.57
$4.79
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.91
$1.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.42
$2.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.25
$2.58
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.11
$2.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.33
$2.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.59
$1.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.74
$3.02
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.92
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.06
$2.25
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.4
$4.81
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.1
$6.97
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.95
$8.01
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.09
$3.06
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.49
$3.18
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$20.5
$57.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.78
$7.43
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$22
$62.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.4
$13.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$52.5
$84.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.6
$113
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$292
$369
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$6394
$9894

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Cities near Cali

Distance City Cost of living
27 km or 17 mi Palmira
$648
74 km or 46 mi Buenaventura
$552
80 km or 50 mi Tulua
$493
111 km or 69 mi Popayan
$455
148 km or 92 mi Neiva
$507
154 km or 96 mi Armenia
$551
160 km or 100 mi Cartago
$639
170 km or 105 mi Salento
$567
178 km or 111 mi Pereira
$639
184 km or 114 mi Ibague
$525
213 km or 132 mi Girardot
$416
214 km or 133 mi Manizales
$727
227 km or 141 mi Florencia
$416
251 km or 156 mi Quibdo
$649
262 km or 163 mi Pasto
$511
285 km or 177 mi Facatativa
$433
285 km or 177 mi Soacha
$724
301 km or 187 mi Bogota
$883
308 km or 192 mi Tumaco
$533
316 km or 196 mi Ipiales
$515
321 km or 200 mi Envigado
$812
329 km or 204 mi Medellin
$867
330 km or 205 mi Villavicencio
$530
330 km or 205 mi Zipaquira
$645
339 km or 210 mi Bello
$778
386 km or 240 mi Ibarra
$536
421 km or 261 mi Tunja
$511
446 km or 277 mi Esmeraldas
$612
463 km or 288 mi Quito
$851
469 km or 291 mi Duitama
$617
471 km or 293 mi Sogamoso
$597
500 km or 311 mi Barrancabermeja
$592
504 km or 313 mi Yopal
$594
506 km or 314 mi Santo Domingo
$775
518 km or 322 mi Turbo
$624
554 km or 344 mi Floridablanca
$612
556 km or 346 mi Bucaramanga
$649
571 km or 354 mi Ambato
$570
595 km or 369 mi Quevedo
$638
596 km or 370 mi Monteria
$633

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1040
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1163
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1009
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1024
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1147
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1220
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1473
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$805
246 km or 153 mi David
$789
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$647
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$680
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$699
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$787
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$548
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$458
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$614
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$940
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$627
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$980
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1157
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$917
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1189
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1316
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1171
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1182
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1107
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1031
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$702
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$738
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1147
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1117
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1112
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1093
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1153
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$676
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$892