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

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Livingcost

San Jose San Salvador
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1574
$1291
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3920
$2925
🏠 One person rent
$747
$734
🏘️ Family rent
$1276
$1288
🍽️ Food expenses
$579
$369
🚐 Transport expenses
$85.8
$87.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1063
$378
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
8 km
🎓 Higher education
60
41
😀 Quality of life
73
56
🏙️ Population
335K
331K

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 22% more expensive than in San Salvador. Cities ranked 3714th and 4553rd ($1574 vs $1291) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 2nd 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 0.3 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 2425th and 6244th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$12.8
$7.29
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$49.5
$37.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.8
$7.27
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.36
$2
☕ Cappuccino
$5.2
$4.19
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.34
$1.24
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$821
$746
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$585
$590
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1456
$1319
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1048
$1089
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$58.3
$75
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$89.7
$116
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$56.7
$37.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.32%
8.49%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2299
$2803
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1800
$1836
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.09
$0.35
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$56.4
$18.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16
$27.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.45
$1.08
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.43
$1.85
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.01
$2.22
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$1.26
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.5
$2.64
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.8
$7.87
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.83
$6.52
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.9
$10.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$4.08
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.73
$1.61
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.77
$2.9
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.76
$2.69
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$2.24
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.66
$2.49
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.1
$0.64
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.6
$2.15
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$23.3
$13.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.92
$2
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.9
$4.05
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$9.27
$6.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.95
$7.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.95
$2.77
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.6
$2.42
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.5
$31.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.55
$5.28
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$104
$39
💇 Haircut, simple
$16
$8
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.9
$65.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$140
$120
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$814
$161
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16872
$4732

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1471
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1362
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1361
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$872
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1228
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1325
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1024
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1929
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$844
246 km or 153 mi David
$909
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$796
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$706
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$817
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$788
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$665
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1112
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$503
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$759
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$716
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1147
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$791
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1144
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1185
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$982
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1396
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1590
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1373
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1361
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$909
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1132
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1123
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$678
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$756
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1291
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1261
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1254
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1231
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1183
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$619
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$832

Cities near San Salvador

Distance City Cost of living
5.2 km or 3.2 mi Mejicanos
$1254
6.1 km or 3.8 mi Soyapango
$1261
11 km or 6.8 mi Santa Tecla
$1183
11 km or 7 mi Apopa
$1231
49 km or 30 mi Santa Ana
$770
57 km or 35 mi Sonsonate
$905
75 km or 46 mi Ahuachapan
$1476
89 km or 55 mi Usulutan
$1123
112 km or 69 mi San Miguel
$1132
135 km or 84 mi Jalapa
$1130
172 km or 107 mi San Miguel Petapa
$1127
176 km or 109 mi Guatemala City
$1204
185 km or 115 mi Mixco
$790
187 km or 116 mi Comayagua
$678
219 km or 136 mi Tegucigalpa
$909
220 km or 137 mi Villanueva
$860
235 km or 146 mi Coban
$935
236 km or 147 mi San Pedro Sula
$1004
237 km or 147 mi La Lima
$854
241 km or 150 mi Panajachel
$951
241 km or 150 mi El Progreso
$832
250 km or 156 mi Choloma
$681
253 km or 157 mi Chinandega
$791
266 km or 165 mi Mazatenango
$962
273 km or 170 mi Yoro
$756
277 km or 172 mi Puerto Cortes
$767
281 km or 174 mi Quetzaltenango
$871
282 km or 175 mi Momostenango
$960
287 km or 178 mi Leon
$759
315 km or 196 mi Esteli
$716
347 km or 216 mi La Ceiba
$619
352 km or 219 mi Jinotega
$503
357 km or 222 mi Tapachula
$775
361 km or 224 mi Managua
$788
365 km or 227 mi Matagalpa
$665
367 km or 228 mi Flores
$1014
385 km or 239 mi San Ignacio
$1049
387 km or 240 mi Masaya
$817
397 km or 247 mi Belmopan
$1008
402 km or 250 mi Granada
$706