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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose San Salvador
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1239
$1192
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3174
$2712
🏠 One person rent
$555
$631
🏘️ Family rent
$1038
$1065
🍽️ Food expenses
$479
$368
🚐 Transport expenses
$75
$91.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$923
$493
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
8 km
🎓 Higher education
60
42
😀 Quality of life
65
51
🏙️ Population
342K
316K

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 4% more expensive than in San Salvador. Cities ranked 4497th and 4621st ($1239 vs $1192) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 5th and 3rd in Costa Rica and El Salvador, respectively. Check Costa Rica vs El Salvador comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 0.4 months in San Salvador. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs San Salvador ranked 1st in El Salvador, while ranked 4226th and 6155th among best cities to live in the world.

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

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Prices in San Jose, Costa Rica vs San Salvador

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

San Jose San Salvador
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.6
$10.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$49.2
$32.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.49
$8.01
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.03
$1.97
☕ Cappuccino
$4.75
$3.76
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.91
$1.08
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$645
$720
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$417
$482
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1229
$1267
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$842
$846
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$47.5
$63.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$73.6
$96.5
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.7
$37.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.24%
10.86%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1929
$2019
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1540
$1397
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.94
$0.35
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.8
$26.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.2
$28.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.09
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$2.05
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.27
$1.57
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.93
$1.42
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.34
$2.79
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$7.57
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.11
$5.45
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14
$10.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.89
$3.05
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.37
$1.68
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.47
$2.59
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.75
$2.62
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$2.34
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$2.16
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.68
$0.69
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.05
$2.15
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.5
$14.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.28
$1.52
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.96
$4.09
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.1
$6.94
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.99
$5.62
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.75
$2.32
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.91
$1.58
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55.9
$34.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.01
$6.06
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$66.7
$40
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.8
$9.67
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.6
$69.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$119
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$501
$160
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12846
$4693

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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

Cities near San Salvador

Distance City Cost of living
5.2 km or 3.2 mi Mejicanos
$1161
6.1 km or 3.8 mi Soyapango
$1173
11 km or 6.8 mi Santa Tecla
$1202
11 km or 7 mi Apopa
$1145
49 km or 30 mi Santa Ana
$709
57 km or 35 mi Sonsonate
$882
75 km or 46 mi Ahuachapan
$1455
89 km or 55 mi Usulutan
$1088
112 km or 69 mi San Miguel
$1081
135 km or 84 mi Jalapa
$904
172 km or 107 mi San Miguel Petapa
$900
176 km or 109 mi Guatemala City
$1005
185 km or 115 mi Mixco
$639
187 km or 116 mi Comayagua
$715
219 km or 136 mi Tegucigalpa
$829
220 km or 137 mi Villanueva
$866
235 km or 146 mi Coban
$912
236 km or 147 mi San Pedro Sula
$1038
237 km or 147 mi La Lima
$870
241 km or 150 mi Panajachel
$791
241 km or 150 mi El Progreso
$883
250 km or 156 mi Choloma
$599
253 km or 157 mi Chinandega
$638
266 km or 165 mi Mazatenango
$870
273 km or 170 mi Yoro
$734
277 km or 172 mi Puerto Cortes
$720
281 km or 174 mi Quetzaltenango
$777
282 km or 175 mi Momostenango
$872
287 km or 178 mi Leon
$639
315 km or 196 mi Esteli
$593
347 km or 216 mi La Ceiba
$650
352 km or 219 mi Jinotega
$457
357 km or 222 mi Tapachula
$646
361 km or 224 mi Managua
$774
365 km or 227 mi Matagalpa
$550
367 km or 228 mi Flores
$859
385 km or 239 mi San Ignacio
$1090
387 km or 240 mi Masaya
$712
397 km or 247 mi Belmopan
$729
402 km or 250 mi Granada
$697