San Jose, Costa Rica vs Sao Paulo - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Sao Paulo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1169
$1042
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3119
$2664
🏠 One person rent
$496
$480
🏘️ Family rent
$1078
$881
🍽️ Food expenses
$471
$302
🚐 Transport expenses
$71.8
$151
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$877
$460
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
60
95
😀 Quality of life
67
64
🏙️ Population
342K
12.4M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 12% more expensive than in Sao Paulo. Cities ranked 4518th and 5031st ($1169 vs $1042) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 1st in Costa Rica and Brazil, respectively. Check Costa Rica vs Brazil comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 0.4 months in Sao Paulo. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Sao Paulo ranked 2nd in Brazil, while ranked 4043rd and 4799th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica vs Sao Paulo infographic

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Prices in San Jose, Costa Rica vs Sao Paulo

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

San Jose Sao Paulo
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.8
$7.49
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51.7
$42.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.47
$7.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.31
$2.19
☕ Cappuccino
$4.21
$2.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.78
$1.29
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$597
$560
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$368
$357
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1266
$1043
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$901
$696
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$42.3
$60.6
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$64.2
$93.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40
$22.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
8.83%
10.78%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1778
$2704
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1310
$1879
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.88
$0.91
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.7
$50.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.9
$8.47
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.45
$1.1
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.96
$1.08
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.32
$1.63
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.15
$1.2
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.59
$2.8
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.52
$10.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.16
$4.34
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$8.88
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.79
$2.29
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.38
$1.74
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.62
$1.23
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.58
$1.79
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.45
$1.28
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.21
$1.15
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.45
$0.55
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.02
$2.01
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$9.65
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.25
$1.44
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.81
$2.42
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.97
$5.04
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.01
$3.81
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.06
$1.83
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.18
$1.03
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$57.8
$28.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.43
$7.79
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$62.4
$60.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.6
$12.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$84.2
$57.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$113
$89.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$369
$464
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9894
$12031

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Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1040
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1163
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1009
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1024
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1147
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1220
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1473
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$805
246 km or 153 mi David
$789
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$647
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$680
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$699
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$787
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$548
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$458
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$614
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$940
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$627
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$980
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1157
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$917
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1189
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1316
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1171
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1182
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1107
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1031
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$702
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$738
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1147
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1117
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1112
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1093
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1153
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$676
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$892

Cities near Sao Paulo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Sao Caetano do Sul
$768
13 km or 8.3 mi Taboao da Serra
$695
14 km or 8.6 mi Guarulhos
$733
15 km or 9.4 mi Diadema
$744
16 km or 9.7 mi Santo Andre
$680
16 km or 10 mi Osasco
$690
17 km or 11 mi Sao Bernardo do Campo
$766
21 km or 13 mi Carapicuiba
$600
22 km or 14 mi Maua
$711
23 km or 15 mi Caieiras
$668
25 km or 15 mi Embu das Artes
$661
25 km or 16 mi Barueri
$669
26 km or 16 mi Mairipora
$674
26 km or 16 mi Franco da Rocha
$669
27 km or 17 mi Ferraz de Vasconcelos
$695
28 km or 17 mi Jandira
$645
29 km or 18 mi Ribeirao Pires
$682
29 km or 18 mi Itapecerica da Serra
$663
30 km or 18 mi Poa
$680
30 km or 18 mi Cotia
$651
30 km or 19 mi Itaquaquecetuba
$699
31 km or 19 mi Itapevi
$652
31 km or 19 mi Santana de Parnaiba
$652
32 km or 20 mi Francisco Morato
$675
33 km or 20 mi Itanhaem
$680
33 km or 20 mi Cajamar
$662
36 km or 22 mi Embu-Guacu
$670
36 km or 22 mi Aruja
$677
41 km or 26 mi Campo Limpo Paulista
$687
43 km or 26 mi Varzea Paulista
$700
44 km or 27 mi Cubatao
$678
45 km or 28 mi Mogi das Cruzes
$761
48 km or 30 mi Jundiai
$763
49 km or 30 mi Atibaia
$662
51 km or 32 mi Sao Roque
$657
52 km or 32 mi Sao Vicente
$558
55 km or 34 mi Santos
$813
56 km or 35 mi Praia Grande
$649
61 km or 38 mi Bertioga
$678
61 km or 38 mi Ibiuna
$659