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

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Livingcost

Quito San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$902
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2227
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$387
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$657
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$324
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$89.7
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$561
$923
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
20 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
63
60
😀 Quality of life
60
65
🏙️ Population
1.76M
342K

The cost of living in Quito is 27% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6126th and 4497th ($902 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 5th 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 0.7 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 5262nd and 4226th 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
$5.63
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$35.3
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.06
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.73
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$3.25
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.03
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$423
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$305
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$780
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$534
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$28.6
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$44.2
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$29.6
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.47%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1507
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1142
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.6
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.7
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.89
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.15
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.46
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.37
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.26
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.55
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.82
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.12
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.2
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.35
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.35
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.05
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.71
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.38
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.4
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.69
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.54
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.88
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.06
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.04
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.57
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.1
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.99
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$39.7
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.1
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$56.5
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$300
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$7183
$12846

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Cities near Quito

Distance City Cost of living
74 km or 46 mi Santo Domingo
$592
77 km or 48 mi Ibarra
$528
114 km or 71 mi Ambato
$574
138 km or 86 mi Quevedo
$651
151 km or 94 mi Ipiales
$504
163 km or 101 mi Riobamba
$545
183 km or 114 mi Esmeraldas
$618
210 km or 130 mi Pasto
$488
210 km or 130 mi Babahoyo
$827
227 km or 141 mi Tumaco
$544
235 km or 146 mi Portoviejo
$760
244 km or 152 mi Milagro
$722
258 km or 161 mi Manta
$870
262 km or 163 mi Duran
$808
267 km or 166 mi Guayaquil
$910
303 km or 188 mi Cuenca
$770
307 km or 191 mi Montanita
$761
348 km or 216 mi La Libertad
$813
364 km or 226 mi Popayan
$462
376 km or 233 mi Machala
$594
381 km or 237 mi Florencia
$398
426 km or 265 mi Loja
$617
430 km or 267 mi Tumbes
$454
463 km or 288 mi Cali
$733
484 km or 301 mi Buenaventura
$718
484 km or 301 mi Palmira
$652
501 km or 311 mi Neiva
$520
516 km or 321 mi Mancora
$495
543 km or 337 mi Tulua
$477
574 km or 357 mi Talara
$504
575 km or 357 mi Sullana
$498
602 km or 374 mi Piura
$564
610 km or 379 mi Jaen
$517
611 km or 380 mi Paita
$509
616 km or 383 mi Armenia
$541
623 km or 387 mi Cartago
$619
631 km or 392 mi Salento
$562
635 km or 395 mi Ibague
$501
641 km or 398 mi Pereira
$641
650 km or 404 mi Girardot
$483

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