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

Updated:

Livingcost

Lima San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1075
$1454
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2553
$3624
🏠 One person rent
$489
$697
🏘️ Family rent
$776
$1213
🍽️ Food expenses
$300
$527
🚐 Transport expenses
$192
$78.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$643
$935
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
77
60
😀 Quality of life
70
72
🏙️ Population
9.94M
335K

The cost of living in Lima is 26% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 5141st and 4213th ($1075 vs $1454) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in Peru and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Peru vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.6 months in Lima compared to 0.6 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Lima ranked 1st best city to live in Peru vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 4052nd and 3173rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Lima vs San Jose, Costa Rica

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

Lima San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.88
$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$25
$51
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.92
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.49
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$3.29
$4.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.06
$2.14
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$654
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$367
$531
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1036
$1484
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$603
$973
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$38.4
$54.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$59.5
$83.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$26.3
$53.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.09%
9.69%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2206
$2465
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1546
$1757
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.71
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$34.9
$48.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18.3
$15.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.38
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.71
$2.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.08
$2.62
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.31
$2.38
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.99
$3.03
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.27
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.4
$8.94
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11
$13.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.15
$4.34
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$1.57
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.27
$4.35
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.34
$3.48
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.95
$3.75
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.89
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.62
$1.93
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.58
$3.28
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.9
$20.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.83
$2.64
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.75
$5.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.75
$8.15
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.95
$9.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.94
$3.47
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.72
$4.31
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$32.2
$59.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.31
$7.93
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$37.7
$96.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.1
$15.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$53.3
$67.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$90.2
$129
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$215
$704
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9668
$14663

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Lima

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Callao
$844
64 km or 40 mi Huaral
$796
122 km or 76 mi Huacho
$752
198 km or 123 mi Huancayo
$611
205 km or 128 mi Pisco
$618
251 km or 156 mi Huanuco
$662
265 km or 165 mi Ica
$739
285 km or 177 mi Huaraz
$608
329 km or 204 mi Ayacucho
$661
372 km or 231 mi Chimbote
$540
483 km or 300 mi Abancay
$664
489 km or 304 mi Trujillo
$746
490 km or 304 mi Pucallpa
$534
567 km or 352 mi Cajamarca
$596
572 km or 355 mi Cusco
$691
623 km or 387 mi Tarapoto
$617
655 km or 407 mi Chachapoyas
$607
663 km or 412 mi Chiclayo
$676
685 km or 426 mi Cruzeiro do Sul
$661
732 km or 455 mi Jaen
$619
765 km or 475 mi Arequipa
$652
838 km or 521 mi Juliaca
$605
855 km or 531 mi Puerto Maldonado
$630
858 km or 533 mi Piura
$660
866 km or 538 mi Puno
$571
891 km or 554 mi Sullana
$605
896 km or 557 mi Paita
$650
927 km or 576 mi Loja
$594
952 km or 591 mi Talara
$714
987 km or 614 mi Mancora
$668
988 km or 614 mi Tacna
$461
1014 km or 630 mi Iquitos
$760
1014 km or 630 mi Arica
$727
1015 km or 631 mi Tumbes
$590
1029 km or 639 mi Machala
$584
1032 km or 642 mi Rio Branco
$812
1041 km or 647 mi Cuenca
$822
1073 km or 666 mi El Alto
$665
1077 km or 669 mi La Paz
$675
1138 km or 707 mi Milagro
$755

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1378
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1323
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1290
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$825
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1332
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1273
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$957
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1832
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$840
246 km or 153 mi David
$922
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$782
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$699
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$812
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$796
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$679
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$470
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$754
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$687
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1153
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$787
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1154
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1179
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$977
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1425
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1583
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1403
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1395
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1120
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1109
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$705
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$737
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1274
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1246
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1237
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1221
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1178
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$626
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$804