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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Santiago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1574
$1186
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3920
$2931
🏠 One person rent
$747
$538
🏘️ Family rent
$1276
$937
🍽️ Food expenses
$579
$390
🚐 Transport expenses
$85.8
$153
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1063
$860
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
60
92
😀 Quality of life
73
81
🏙️ Population
335K
6.26M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 33% more expensive than in Santiago. Cities ranked 3714th and 4785th ($1574 vs $1186) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 2nd 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 2425th and 637th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Share this picture

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
$12.8
$11.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$49.5
$50.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.8
$8.98
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.36
$4.3
☕ Cappuccino
$5.2
$3.87
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.34
$1.75
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$821
$612
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$585
$387
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1456
$1129
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1048
$699
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$58.3
$84.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$89.7
$130
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$56.7
$21.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.32%
5.35%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2299
$2854
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1800
$2901
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.09
$0.87
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$56.4
$44.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16
$8.58
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.45
$1.57
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.43
$1.36
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.01
$1.5
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$1.54
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.5
$4.38
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.8
$12.4
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.83
$7.69
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.9
$11.7
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$2.14
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.73
$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.77
$1.96
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.76
$1.98
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$1.31
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.66
$1.59
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.1
$0.81
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.6
$2.38
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$23.3
$6.69
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.92
$1.63
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.9
$5.64
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$9.27
$3.92
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.95
$4.49
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.95
$3.16
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.6
$2.34
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.5
$39.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.55
$7.23
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$104
$45
💇 Haircut, simple
$16
$19.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.9
$56.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$140
$78.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$814
$484
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16872
$12174

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

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 Santiago

Distance City Cost of living
17 km or 11 mi San Bernardo
$807
20 km or 12 mi Puente Alto
$926
69 km or 43 mi Los Andes
$801
78 km or 48 mi San Felipe
$741
80 km or 50 mi Rancagua
$831
80 km or 50 mi Villa Alemana
$891
83 km or 52 mi Quillota
$896
85 km or 53 mi Quilpue
$904
89 km or 55 mi San Antonio
$1114
95 km or 59 mi Vina del Mar
$957
99 km or 62 mi Valparaiso
$937
130 km or 80 mi San Fernando
$981
179 km or 111 mi Curico
$828
181 km or 112 mi Godoy Cruz
$930
182 km or 113 mi Mendoza
$930
185 km or 115 mi Las Heras
$928
208 km or 129 mi San Martin
$898
238 km or 148 mi Talca
$876
251 km or 156 mi San Rafael
$699
264 km or 164 mi Constitucion
$860
280 km or 174 mi Linares
$908
292 km or 181 mi San Juan
$626
321 km or 199 mi Ovalle
$757
375 km or 233 mi Chillan
$718
394 km or 245 mi Coquimbo
$883
398 km or 247 mi La Serena
$882
401 km or 249 mi San Luis
$740
409 km or 254 mi Tome
$788
426 km or 265 mi Talcahuano
$702
434 km or 269 mi Concepcion
$923
455 km or 283 mi Coronel
$848
456 km or 284 mi Lujan
$788
464 km or 288 mi Lota
$842
472 km or 294 mi Los Angeles
$890
482 km or 300 mi Villa Mercedes
$795
508 km or 316 mi Curanilahue
$851
518 km or 322 mi Angol
$872
542 km or 337 mi Vallenar
$844
576 km or 358 mi La Rioja
$590
588 km or 366 mi Rio Cuarto
$895