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

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Livingcost

Quito San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$851
$1169
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2169
$3119
🏠 One person rent
$339
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$594
$1078
🍽️ Food expenses
$314
$471
🚐 Transport expenses
$89.7
$71.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$479
$877
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
20 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
63
60
😀 Quality of life
61
67
🏙️ Population
2.01M
342K

The cost of living in Quito is 27% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6208th and 4518th ($851 vs $1169) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 3rd in Ecuador and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Ecuador vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.6 months in Quito compared to 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Quito ranked 2nd best city to live in Ecuador vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 5206th and 4043rd among best cities to live in the world.

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

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Prices in Quito vs San Jose, Costa Rica

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

Quito San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$5.06
$10.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$34.9
$51.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.54
$9.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.68
$3.31
☕ Cappuccino
$2.98
$4.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.06
$1.78
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$404
$597
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$250
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$703
$1266
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$474
$901
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$25.9
$42.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$41.8
$64.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$32.5
$40
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
12.83%
8.83%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1617
$1778
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1286
$1310
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$0.88
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$20.7
$40.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.7
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.8
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.1
$1.96
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.41
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$2.15
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.38
$3.59
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.74
$9.52
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.08
$9.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.74
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.35
$4.79
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.5
$2.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.16
$2.58
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$2.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$2.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.71
$1.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.01
$3.02
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.2
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.54
$2.25
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.98
$4.81
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.74
$6.97
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$8.01
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.44
$3.06
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.66
$3.18
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$43.6
$57.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.2
$7.43
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$52.1
$62.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.9
$13.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$53.5
$84.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$103
$113
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$261
$369
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$7844
$9894

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Cities near Quito

Distance City Cost of living
74 km or 46 mi Santo Domingo
$775
77 km or 48 mi Ibarra
$536
114 km or 71 mi Ambato
$570
138 km or 86 mi Quevedo
$638
151 km or 94 mi Ipiales
$515
163 km or 101 mi Riobamba
$547
183 km or 114 mi Esmeraldas
$612
210 km or 130 mi Pasto
$511
210 km or 130 mi Babahoyo
$834
227 km or 141 mi Tumaco
$533
235 km or 146 mi Portoviejo
$642
244 km or 152 mi Milagro
$731
258 km or 161 mi Manta
$870
262 km or 163 mi Duran
$801
267 km or 166 mi Guayaquil
$903
303 km or 188 mi Cuenca
$790
307 km or 191 mi Montanita
$754
348 km or 216 mi La Libertad
$814
364 km or 226 mi Popayan
$455
376 km or 233 mi Machala
$603
381 km or 237 mi Florencia
$416
426 km or 265 mi Loja
$637
430 km or 267 mi Tumbes
$472
463 km or 288 mi Cali
$720
484 km or 301 mi Buenaventura
$552
484 km or 301 mi Palmira
$648
501 km or 311 mi Neiva
$507
516 km or 321 mi Mancora
$514
543 km or 337 mi Tulua
$493
574 km or 357 mi Talara
$532
575 km or 357 mi Sullana
$543
602 km or 374 mi Piura
$592
610 km or 379 mi Jaen
$504
611 km or 380 mi Paita
$551
616 km or 383 mi Armenia
$551
623 km or 387 mi Cartago
$639
631 km or 392 mi Salento
$567
635 km or 395 mi Ibague
$525
641 km or 398 mi Pereira
$639
650 km or 404 mi Girardot
$416

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