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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Santiago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1239
$1200
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3174
$2937
🏠 One person rent
$555
$540
🏘️ Family rent
$1038
$964
🍽️ Food expenses
$479
$388
🚐 Transport expenses
$75
$169
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$923
$801
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
60
91
😀 Quality of life
65
78
🏙️ Population
342K
6.26M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 3% more expensive than in Santiago. Cities ranked 4497th and 4604th ($1239 vs $1200) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 5th and 1st in Costa Rica and Chile, respectively. Check Costa Rica vs Chile comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 0.7 months in Santiago. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Santiago ranked 1st in Chile, while ranked 4226th and 705th among best cities to live in the world.

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

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Prices in San Jose, Costa Rica vs Santiago

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

San Jose Santiago
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.6
$12.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$49.2
$51.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.49
$8.67
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.03
$3.52
☕ Cappuccino
$4.75
$3.58
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.91
$1.72
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$645
$515
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$417
$419
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1229
$989
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$842
$774
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$47.5
$81.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$73.6
$126
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.7
$20.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.24%
5.25%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1929
$2689
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1540
$2861
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.94
$0.91
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.8
$45.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.2
$11.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.46
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.29
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.27
$1.38
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.93
$1.54
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.34
$4.19
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$12.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.11
$6.53
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.89
$2.05
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.37
$1.68
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.47
$2.13
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.75
$1.94
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$1.88
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$1.54
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.68
$0.88
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.05
$2.34
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.5
$6.06
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.28
$1.5
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.96
$5.39
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.1
$4.41
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.99
$4.77
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.75
$2.6
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.91
$2.99
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55.9
$41.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.01
$6.02
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$66.7
$50.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.8
$17.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.6
$54.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$119
$74.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$501
$417
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12846
$7298

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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 Santiago

Distance City Cost of living
17 km or 11 mi San Bernardo
$854
20 km or 12 mi Puente Alto
$957
69 km or 43 mi Los Andes
$800
78 km or 48 mi San Felipe
$752
80 km or 50 mi Rancagua
$844
80 km or 50 mi Villa Alemana
$922
83 km or 52 mi Quillota
$905
85 km or 53 mi Quilpue
$908
89 km or 55 mi San Antonio
$1135
95 km or 59 mi Vina del Mar
$932
99 km or 62 mi Valparaiso
$959
130 km or 80 mi San Fernando
$903
179 km or 111 mi Curico
$788
181 km or 112 mi Godoy Cruz
$608
182 km or 113 mi Mendoza
$599
185 km or 115 mi Las Heras
$609
208 km or 129 mi San Martin
$602
238 km or 148 mi Talca
$849
251 km or 156 mi San Rafael
$441
264 km or 164 mi Constitucion
$881
280 km or 174 mi Linares
$894
292 km or 181 mi San Juan
$658
321 km or 199 mi Ovalle
$819
375 km or 233 mi Chillan
$649
394 km or 245 mi Coquimbo
$852
398 km or 247 mi La Serena
$853
401 km or 249 mi San Luis
$729
409 km or 254 mi Tome
$798
426 km or 265 mi Talcahuano
$734
434 km or 269 mi Concepcion
$922
455 km or 283 mi Coronel
$852
456 km or 284 mi Lujan
$650
464 km or 288 mi Lota
$842
472 km or 294 mi Los Angeles
$743
482 km or 300 mi Villa Mercedes
$630
508 km or 316 mi Curanilahue
$836
518 km or 322 mi Angol
$823
542 km or 337 mi Vallenar
$824
576 km or 358 mi La Rioja
$613
588 km or 366 mi Rio Cuarto
$534