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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Francisco San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3729
$1169
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8827
$3119
🏠 One person rent
$2575
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$4722
$1078
🍽️ Food expenses
$762
$471
🚐 Transport expenses
$182
$71.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$7332
$877
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
18 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
97
60
😀 Quality of life
95
67
🏙️ Population
874K
342K

The cost of living in San Francisco is 219% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 12th and 4518th ($3729 vs $1169) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 10th and 3rd 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 months in San Francisco compared to 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. San Francisco ranked 4th best city to live in the United States vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 29th and 4043rd among best cities to live in the world.

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

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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
$22.4
$10.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.4
$51.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.9
$9.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.6
$3.31
☕ Cappuccino
$5.44
$4.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.75
$1.78
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2705
$597
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2296
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$5169
$1266
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4274
$901
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$135
$42.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$208
$64.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$40
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.55%
8.83%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11456
$1778
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10309
$1310
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.74
$0.88
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$96.8
$40.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$21
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.33
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.72
$1.96
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.07
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$2.15
🥚 Eggs, x12
$6.13
$3.59
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20
$9.52
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.8
$9.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.78
$4.79
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3
$1.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.9
$2.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.99
$2.58
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.44
$2.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.36
$2.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.52
$1.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.01
$3.02
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$4.01
$2.25
🚬 Cigarette pack
$12.9
$4.81
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$6.97
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.04
$8.01
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$5.79
$3.06
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.94
$3.18
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$95.1
$57.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.4
$7.43
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$159
$62.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$26.4
$13.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.1
$84.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$106
$113
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2657
$369
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$31490
$9894

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Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3133
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3130
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3358
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3123
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2965
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3127
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3147
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2977
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3135
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3042
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3163
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3046
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3219
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$2969
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4148
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3583
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2650
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3518
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2840
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2968
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3567
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2660
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2881
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3300
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2876
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3389
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2697
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$2929
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2782
38 km or 24 mi Union
$2922
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2860
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2900
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3195
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2824
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2947
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3313
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3245
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3003
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3109
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3733

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1040
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1163
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1009
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1024
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1147
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1220
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1473
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$805
246 km or 153 mi David
$789
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$647
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$680
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$699
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$787
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$548
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$458
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$614
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$940
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$627
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$980
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1157
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$917
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1189
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1316
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1171
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1182
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1107
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1031
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$702
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$738
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1147
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1117
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1112
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1093
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1153
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$676
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$892