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

Updated:

Livingcost

Cali San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$733
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1821
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$287
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$459
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$252
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$112
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$420
$923
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
19 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
45
60
😀 Quality of life
51
65
🏙️ Population
2.47M
342K

The cost of living in Cali is 41% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6748th and 4497th ($733 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 13th and 5th 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 0.7 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 6170th and 4226th 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
$4.68
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$22.9
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.84
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.21
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$1.91
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.92
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$267
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$208
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$455
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$345
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$46.4
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$71
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$20.9
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.72%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$969
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$926
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.64
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$24.8
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.6
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.9
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.25
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.43
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.58
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.09
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.38
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.28
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.85
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.22
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.13
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.97
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.54
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.59
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$10.3
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.07
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.26
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.97
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.27
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.95
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.3
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$21.6
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$4.34
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$32.1
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$8.01
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$54
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.8
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$226
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$6178
$12846

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Cali

Distance City Cost of living
27 km or 17 mi Palmira
$652
74 km or 46 mi Buenaventura
$718
80 km or 50 mi Tulua
$477
111 km or 69 mi Popayan
$462
148 km or 92 mi Neiva
$520
154 km or 96 mi Armenia
$541
160 km or 100 mi Cartago
$619
170 km or 105 mi Salento
$562
178 km or 111 mi Pereira
$641
184 km or 114 mi Ibague
$501
213 km or 132 mi Girardot
$483
214 km or 133 mi Manizales
$653
227 km or 141 mi Florencia
$398
251 km or 156 mi Quibdo
$661
262 km or 163 mi Pasto
$488
285 km or 177 mi Facatativa
$641
285 km or 177 mi Soacha
$748
301 km or 187 mi Bogota
$868
308 km or 192 mi Tumaco
$544
316 km or 196 mi Ipiales
$504
321 km or 200 mi Envigado
$871
329 km or 204 mi Medellin
$873
330 km or 205 mi Villavicencio
$475
330 km or 205 mi Zipaquira
$681
339 km or 210 mi Bello
$789
386 km or 240 mi Ibarra
$528
421 km or 261 mi Tunja
$526
446 km or 277 mi Esmeraldas
$618
463 km or 288 mi Quito
$902
469 km or 291 mi Duitama
$851
471 km or 293 mi Sogamoso
$523
500 km or 311 mi Barrancabermeja
$573
504 km or 313 mi Yopal
$687
506 km or 314 mi Santo Domingo
$592
518 km or 322 mi Turbo
$634
554 km or 344 mi Floridablanca
$584
556 km or 346 mi Bucaramanga
$642
571 km or 354 mi Ambato
$574
595 km or 369 mi Quevedo
$651
596 km or 370 mi Monteria
$620

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