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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Santiago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1454
$1191
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3624
$2945
🏠 One person rent
$697
$532
🏘️ Family rent
$1213
$934
🍽️ Food expenses
$527
$397
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$155
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$935
$881
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
13 km
🎓 Higher education
60
92
😀 Quality of life
72
80
🏙️ Population
335K
6.26M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 22% more expensive than in Santiago. Cities ranked 4213th and 4795th ($1454 vs $1191) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 0.6 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 3173rd and 688th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$11.2
$11.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51
$50.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.4
$8.82
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$4
☕ Cappuccino
$4.68
$3.78
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.14
$1.77
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$821
$573
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$531
$393
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1484
$1028
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$973
$724
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$54.9
$81.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$83.8
$127
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$53.3
$22.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.69%
5.38%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2465
$2897
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1757
$3070
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1
$0.95
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$48.8
$47.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.1
$8.67
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.47
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.26
$1.33
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.62
$1.44
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$1.82
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.03
$4.55
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.5
$12.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.94
$7.47
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$11.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.34
$2.18
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.71
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.35
$2.17
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.48
$2.03
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.75
$1.54
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.18
$1.81
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$0.86
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.28
$2.39
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$20.3
$7.03
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.64
$1.75
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.46
$6.15
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.15
$4.17
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.92
$4.62
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.47
$2.73
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.31
$2.49
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$59.8
$40.2
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.93
$7.33
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$96.4
$46.5
💇 Haircut, simple
$15.9
$17.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.6
$56.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$129
$86.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$704
$493
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14663
$10578

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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
$1378
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1323
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1290
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$825
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1332
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1273
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$957
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1832
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$840
246 km or 153 mi David
$922
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$782
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$699
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$812
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$796
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$679
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$470
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$754
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$687
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1153
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$787
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1154
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1179
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$977
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1425
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1583
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1403
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1395
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1120
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1109
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$705
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$737
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1274
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1246
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1237
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1221
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1178
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$626
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$804

Cities near Santiago

Distance City Cost of living
17 km or 11 mi San Bernardo
$848
20 km or 12 mi Puente Alto
$966
69 km or 43 mi Los Andes
$840
78 km or 48 mi San Felipe
$790
80 km or 50 mi Rancagua
$879
80 km or 50 mi Villa Alemana
$930
83 km or 52 mi Quillota
$941
85 km or 53 mi Quilpue
$943
89 km or 55 mi San Antonio
$1180
95 km or 59 mi Vina del Mar
$974
99 km or 62 mi Valparaiso
$987
130 km or 80 mi San Fernando
$1008
179 km or 111 mi Curico
$826
181 km or 112 mi Godoy Cruz
$895
182 km or 113 mi Mendoza
$907
185 km or 115 mi Las Heras
$893
208 km or 129 mi San Martin
$860
238 km or 148 mi Talca
$921
251 km or 156 mi San Rafael
$642
264 km or 164 mi Constitucion
$900
280 km or 174 mi Linares
$935
292 km or 181 mi San Juan
$589
321 km or 199 mi Ovalle
$804
375 km or 233 mi Chillan
$740
394 km or 245 mi Coquimbo
$915
398 km or 247 mi La Serena
$929
401 km or 249 mi San Luis
$764
409 km or 254 mi Tome
$830
426 km or 265 mi Talcahuano
$747
434 km or 269 mi Concepcion
$973
455 km or 283 mi Coronel
$897
456 km or 284 mi Lujan
$759
464 km or 288 mi Lota
$887
472 km or 294 mi Los Angeles
$938
482 km or 300 mi Villa Mercedes
$768
508 km or 316 mi Curanilahue
$893
518 km or 322 mi Angol
$916
542 km or 337 mi Vallenar
$891
576 km or 358 mi La Rioja
$577
588 km or 366 mi Rio Cuarto
$849