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

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Livingcost

San Diego San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3346
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7719
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$2248
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$4052
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$722
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$185
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5772
$923
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
87
60
😀 Quality of life
92
65
🏙️ Population
1.39M
342K

The cost of living in San Diego is 170% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 45th and 4497th ($3346 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 36th and 5th in the United States and Costa Rica, respectively. Check the United States vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in San Diego compared to 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. San Diego ranked 12th best city to live in the United States vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 75th and 4226th among best cities to live in the world.

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

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Prices in San Diego vs San Jose, Costa Rica

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

San Diego San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$20.9
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$85.8
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.9
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.25
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$5.51
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.62
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2399
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1894
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4351
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3534
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$184
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$286
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$69.1
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9294
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7063
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.52
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$72.6
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$20.2
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.38
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.16
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.98
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.91
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.72
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.4
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.4
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.96
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.69
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.11
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.54
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.6
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.2
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$18.3
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.1
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$11.3
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$16.2
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$10.9
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$5.94
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.98
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$72.4
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$18
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$132
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$28
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$56.2
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$99.1
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1752
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$21468
$12846

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near San Diego

Distance City Cost of living
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Coronado
$2973
7.2 km or 4.5 mi National
$2877
13 km or 7.8 mi Lemon Grove
$2783
14 km or 9 mi Chula Vista
$2893
14 km or 9 mi La Mesa
$2775
16 km or 9.8 mi Imperial Beach
$2786
18 km or 11 mi La Jolla
$2821
21 km or 13 mi El Cajon
$2936
24 km or 15 mi Tijuana
$1050
25 km or 15 mi Santee
$2799
30 km or 19 mi Poway
$2765
38 km or 24 mi Encinitas
$2853
40 km or 25 mi Las Delicias
$922
43 km or 26 mi Rosarito Beach
$922
46 km or 29 mi Escondido
$2795
47 km or 30 mi San Marcos
$2718
52 km or 33 mi Carlsbad
$2997
54 km or 33 mi Vista
$2783
57 km or 36 mi Oceanside
$2926
73 km or 46 mi Fallbrook
$2767
88 km or 55 mi Temecula
$2579
91 km or 57 mi San Clemente
$2886
95 km or 59 mi Murrieta
$3006
97 km or 61 mi Dana Point
$2828
98 km or 61 mi French Valley
$2650
99 km or 61 mi San Juan Capistrano
$2842
99 km or 61 mi Wildomar
$2717
104 km or 65 mi Laguna Niguel
$3001
107 km or 66 mi Laguna Beach
$2928
107 km or 67 mi Menifee
$2587
109 km or 68 mi Ensenada
$912
109 km or 68 mi Lake Elsinore
$2654
110 km or 68 mi Mission Viejo
$3444
110 km or 69 mi Laguna Hills
$3035
111 km or 69 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$2950
114 km or 71 mi Aliso Viejo
$3330
114 km or 71 mi Lake Forest
$3047
115 km or 72 mi Hemet
$2789
119 km or 74 mi Perris
$2595
119 km or 74 mi Temescal Valley
$2647

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