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

Updated:

Livingcost

Quito San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$882
$1398
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2247
$3421
🏠 One person rent
$363
$662
🏘️ Family rent
$633
$1102
🍽️ Food expenses
$316
$509
🚐 Transport expenses
$98.6
$78.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$485
$981
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
20 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
62
60
😀 Quality of life
57
74
🏙️ Population
1.76M
342K

The cost of living in Quito is 37% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 6318th and 4260th ($882 vs $1398) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 0.5 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 6166th and 2458th 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
$4.97
$10.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$35.2
$51.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.76
$9.89
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.23
$2.74
☕ Cappuccino
$3.01
$4.55
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.11
$2.09
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$410
$804
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$292
$492
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$744
$1349
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$533
$868
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$19.2
$54.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$29.7
$84.9
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$27.8
$52.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.16%
10.54%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1599
$2935
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$888
$1711
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$26.9
$42.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.4
$16.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.7
$1.43
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.07
$2.08
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.59
$2.38
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.78
$2.16
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.4
$3.11
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.28
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.22
$8.68
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.23
$13.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.06
$4.14
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.09
$1.51
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$4.29
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.28
$3.33
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.5
$3.53
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$3.36
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.7
$1.94
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.31
$3.14
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.93
$19.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.6
$2.44
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.06
$5.28
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.98
$8.15
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.02
$8.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.61
$3.05
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.75
$3.79
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$38.9
$56.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.01
$8.97
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$45.5
$94.6
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.3
$16.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$59.8
$60
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$126
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$286
$609
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9282
$12743

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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
$585
114 km or 71 mi Ambato
$542
138 km or 86 mi Quevedo
$649
151 km or 94 mi Ipiales
$604
163 km or 101 mi Riobamba
$509
183 km or 114 mi Esmeraldas
$606
210 km or 130 mi Pasto
$608
210 km or 130 mi Babahoyo
$841
227 km or 141 mi Tumaco
$622
235 km or 146 mi Portoviejo
$776
244 km or 152 mi Milagro
$745
258 km or 161 mi Manta
$859
262 km or 163 mi Duran
$869
267 km or 166 mi Guayaquil
$1006
303 km or 188 mi Cuenca
$780
307 km or 191 mi Montanita
$728
348 km or 216 mi La Libertad
$712
364 km or 226 mi Popayan
$572
376 km or 233 mi Machala
$587
381 km or 237 mi Florencia
$489
426 km or 265 mi Loja
$601
430 km or 267 mi Tumbes
$582
463 km or 288 mi Cali
$759
484 km or 301 mi Buenaventura
$782
484 km or 301 mi Palmira
$693
501 km or 311 mi Neiva
$565
516 km or 321 mi Mancora
$656
543 km or 337 mi Tulua
$511
574 km or 357 mi Talara
$704
575 km or 357 mi Sullana
$596
602 km or 374 mi Piura
$648
610 km or 379 mi Jaen
$609
611 km or 380 mi Paita
$638
616 km or 383 mi Armenia
$667
623 km or 387 mi Cartago
$679
631 km or 392 mi Salento
$655
635 km or 395 mi Ibague
$506
641 km or 398 mi Pereira
$730
650 km or 404 mi Girardot
$515

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1335
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1303
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1241
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$821
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1288
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1236
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$953
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1714
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$864
246 km or 153 mi David
$925
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$768
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$698
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$790
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$760
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$673
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$467
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$735
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$682
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1150
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$770
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1150
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1188
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$981
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1400
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1560
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1377
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1371
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$836
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1097
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1090
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$739
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$729
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1362
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1273
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1262
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1238
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1182
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$627
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$780