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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Francisco San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3781
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8717
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$2600
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$4501
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$806
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$181
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$7795
$923
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
18 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
97
60
😀 Quality of life
97
65
🏙️ Population
874K
342K

The cost of living in San Francisco is 205% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 9th and 4497th ($3781 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 7th 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 2.1 months in San Francisco compared to 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. San Francisco ranked 1st best city to live in the United States vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 12th and 4226th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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

Share this infographic!

Prices in San Francisco vs San Jose, Costa Rica

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

San Francisco San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$22.5
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$103
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.3
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.68
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$5.68
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.79
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2707
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2324
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$5024
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4030
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$138
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$211
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$61.5
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.62%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11577
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11019
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.6
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$96.5
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$20.9
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.35
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.66
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.31
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.8
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$6.2
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$23
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$22.5
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.37
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.31
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.7
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.91
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.18
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.68
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.7
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$18.1
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.33
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.6
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.97
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$5.38
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.89
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$91.5
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.1
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$132
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$23.8
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$63.2
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$107
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2916
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$31050
$12846

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3180
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3170
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3274
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3146
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2940
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3082
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3196
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2977
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3152
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3053
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3224
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3048
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3293
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3023
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4155
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3672
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2802
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3473
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2831
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2949
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3804
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2981
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2931
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3442
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2874
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3584
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2714
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$2922
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2767
38 km or 24 mi Union
$2986
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2851
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2885
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3176
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2845
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2726
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3288
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3228
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3010
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3091
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3610

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