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

Updated: March 02, 2025

	Managua	San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person	$738	$1324
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$1935	$3344
🏠 One person rent	$273	$606
🏘️ Family rent	$566	$1094
🍽️ Food expenses	$325	$499
🚐 Transport expenses	$43.2	$78
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$416	$990
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity	11 km	7 km
🎓 Higher education	33	60
😀 Quality of life	43	66
🏙️ Population	937K	342K

The cost of living in Managua is 44% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6728th and 4143rd ($738 vs $1324) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 2nd in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Nicaragua vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.6 months in Managua compared to 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Managua ranked 1st best city to live in Nicaragua vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 6714th and 4085th among best cities to live in the world.

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

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Prices in Managua vs San Jose, Costa Rica

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

	Managua	San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu	$4.9	$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$29.5	$51.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$7.27	$9.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.3	$2.9
☕ Cappuccino	$2.17	$4.5
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.76	$1.97
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$232	$738
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$169	$444
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$435	$1315
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$449	$874
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$54.5	$53.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$83.1	$82.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$36.9	$49.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	11.3%	10.31%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$1162	$2883
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$441	$1718
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$0.14	$0.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$5.96	$41.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$5.98	$16.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.32	$1.42
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1.16	$2.07
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$2.26	$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.7	$1.94
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2.18	$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$8.8	$11.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$6.36	$8.97
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$7.86	$14.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$4.24	$3.92
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.95	$1.46
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.75	$3.91
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.22	$2.99
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.83	$2.99
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.21	$2.81
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.72	$1.85
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.29	$3.17
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$14.7	$18.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.35	$2.43
🚬 Cigarette pack	$2.68	$5.13
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$5.58	$8.09
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$4	$7.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$2.64	$3.22
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.33	$3.77
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$36.1	$65
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$7.99	$9.08
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$21	$72.3
💇 Haircut, simple	$3.84	$15.2
👖 Brand Jeans	$76.8	$68.8
👟 Brand Sneakers	$119	$125
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$124	$601
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$5713	$12527

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Managua

Distance	City	Cost of living
27 km or 17 mi	Masaya	$710
42 km or 26 mi	Granada	$701
74 km or 46 mi	Leon	$632
93 km or 58 mi	Matagalpa	$624
95 km or 59 mi	Juigalpa	$666
104 km or 65 mi	Esteli	$598
108 km or 67 mi	Chinandega	$638
108 km or 67 mi	Jinotega	$455
109 km or 68 mi	San Juan del Sur	$839
192 km or 119 mi	Liberia	$932
211 km or 131 mi	Tamarindo	$1710
239 km or 148 mi	Tegucigalpa	$863
255 km or 159 mi	San Miguel	$1088
272 km or 169 mi	Usulutan	$1083
288 km or 179 mi	Puntarenas	$801
297 km or 185 mi	Comayagua	$753
303 km or 188 mi	Santa Teresa	$1213
326 km or 203 mi	Alajuela	$1269
335 km or 208 mi	Heredia	$1296
343 km or 213 mi	San Jose	$1324
345 km or 214 mi	Yoro	$755
361 km or 224 mi	Soyapango	$1182
361 km or 224 mi	San Salvador	$1204
361 km or 224 mi	Cartago	$1024
365 km or 227 mi	Mejicanos	$1175
365 km or 227 mi	Apopa	$1160
369 km or 229 mi	Santa Tecla	$1194
398 km or 247 mi	El Progreso	$903
400 km or 248 mi	Villanueva	$897
406 km or 252 mi	La Lima	$897
408 km or 253 mi	La Ceiba	$626
408 km or 254 mi	Santa Ana	$698
412 km or 256 mi	Sonsonate	$884
418 km or 260 mi	San Pedro Sula	$1047
427 km or 265 mi	Limon	$1225
430 km or 267 mi	Choloma	$719
435 km or 270 mi	Ahuachapan	$1449
453 km or 282 mi	Puerto Cortes	$788
489 km or 304 mi	Jalapa	$936
533 km or 331 mi	San Miguel Petapa	$941

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance	City	Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi	Heredia	$1296
17 km or 11 mi	Alajuela	$1269
20 km or 12 mi	Cartago	$1024
82 km or 51 mi	Puntarenas	$801
115 km or 72 mi	Limon	$1225
124 km or 77 mi	Santa Teresa	$1213
167 km or 104 mi	Liberia	$932
197 km or 122 mi	Tamarindo	$1710
244 km or 151 mi	San Juan del Sur	$839
246 km or 153 mi	David	$890
279 km or 173 mi	Juigalpa	$666
302 km or 188 mi	Granada	$701
316 km or 196 mi	Masaya	$710
343 km or 213 mi	Managua	$738
387 km or 241 mi	Matagalpa	$624
398 km or 247 mi	Santiago de Veraguas	$1089
408 km or 253 mi	Jinotega	$455
413 km or 257 mi	Leon	$632
429 km or 266 mi	Esteli	$598
438 km or 272 mi	Penonome	$1116
447 km or 278 mi	Chinandega	$638
457 km or 284 mi	Chitre	$1117
463 km or 288 mi	Colon	$1172
486 km or 302 mi	La Chorrera	$957
508 km or 316 mi	Balboa	$1328
513 km or 319 mi	Panama City	$1479
524 km or 326 mi	Tocumen	$1310
535 km or 333 mi	Pacora	$1304
574 km or 357 mi	Tegucigalpa	$863
596 km or 370 mi	San Miguel	$1088
609 km or 378 mi	Usulutan	$1083
635 km or 395 mi	Comayagua	$753
666 km or 414 mi	Yoro	$755
696 km or 432 mi	San Salvador	$1204
697 km or 433 mi	Soyapango	$1182
701 km or 435 mi	Mejicanos	$1175
702 km or 436 mi	Apopa	$1160
703 km or 437 mi	Santa Tecla	$1194
713 km or 443 mi	La Ceiba	$626
729 km or 453 mi	El Progreso	$903