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

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Livingcost

Quito San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$902
$1454
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2281
$3624
🏠 One person rent
$378
$697
🏘️ Family rent
$647
$1213
🍽️ Food expenses
$321
$527
🚐 Transport expenses
$96.2
$78.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$499
$935
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
20 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
63
60
😀 Quality of life
57
72
🏙️ Population
1.76M
335K

The cost of living in Quito is 38% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6319th and 4213th ($902 vs $1454) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 2nd 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 0.6 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Quito ranked 1st best city to live in Ecuador vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 6235th and 3173rd among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$5.03
$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40.8
$51
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.92
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.5
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$3.02
$4.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.25
$2.14
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$438
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$304
$531
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$783
$1484
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$541
$973
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$19.7
$54.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$30.4
$83.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$27.4
$53.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
10.6%
9.69%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1744
$2465
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$745
$1757
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.7
$48.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.6
$15.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.78
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.11
$2.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.74
$2.62
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.74
$2.38
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.23
$3.03
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.9
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.86
$8.94
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.72
$13.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.31
$4.34
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.16
$1.57
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.12
$4.35
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$3.48
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$3.75
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.05
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.67
$1.93
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.08
$3.28
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$10.1
$20.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.58
$2.64
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.95
$5.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$7
$8.15
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.94
$9.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.65
$3.47
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.32
$4.31
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.9
$59.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.95
$7.93
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$43.8
$96.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$10.3
$15.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.1
$67.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$114
$129
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$332
$704
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$8496
$14663

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Cities near Quito

Distance City Cost of living
74 km or 46 mi Santo Domingo
$598
77 km or 48 mi Ibarra
$569
114 km or 71 mi Ambato
$538
138 km or 86 mi Quevedo
$656
151 km or 94 mi Ipiales
$640
163 km or 101 mi Riobamba
$510
183 km or 114 mi Esmeraldas
$613
210 km or 130 mi Pasto
$637
210 km or 130 mi Babahoyo
$847
227 km or 141 mi Tumaco
$663
235 km or 146 mi Portoviejo
$785
244 km or 152 mi Milagro
$755
258 km or 161 mi Manta
$814
262 km or 163 mi Duran
$905
267 km or 166 mi Guayaquil
$1029
303 km or 188 mi Cuenca
$822
307 km or 191 mi Montanita
$734
348 km or 216 mi La Libertad
$716
364 km or 226 mi Popayan
$606
376 km or 233 mi Machala
$584
381 km or 237 mi Florencia
$514
426 km or 265 mi Loja
$594
430 km or 267 mi Tumbes
$590
463 km or 288 mi Cali
$829
484 km or 301 mi Buenaventura
$825
484 km or 301 mi Palmira
$746
501 km or 311 mi Neiva
$592
516 km or 321 mi Mancora
$668
543 km or 337 mi Tulua
$537
574 km or 357 mi Talara
$714
575 km or 357 mi Sullana
$605
602 km or 374 mi Piura
$660
610 km or 379 mi Jaen
$619
611 km or 380 mi Paita
$650
616 km or 383 mi Armenia
$719
623 km or 387 mi Cartago
$738
631 km or 392 mi Salento
$709
635 km or 395 mi Ibague
$529
641 km or 398 mi Pereira
$789
650 km or 404 mi Girardot
$547

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