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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Sao Paulo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1239
$1012
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3174
$2565
🏠 One person rent
$555
$481
🏘️ Family rent
$1038
$852
🍽️ Food expenses
$479
$285
🚐 Transport expenses
$75
$145
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$923
$477
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
60
95
😀 Quality of life
65
63
🏙️ Population
342K
11.5M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 22% more expensive than in Sao Paulo. Cities ranked 4497th and 5616th ($1239 vs $1012) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 5th 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 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 0.5 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 4226th and 4573rd 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
$10.6
$6.82
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$49.2
$38.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.49
$7.22
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.03
$1.95
☕ Cappuccino
$4.75
$2.19
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.91
$1.13
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$645
$574
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$417
$371
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1229
$1002
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$842
$694
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$47.5
$50.2
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$73.6
$77.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.7
$19.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.24%
10.91%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1929
$2416
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1540
$1687
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.94
$0.93
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.8
$47.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.2
$8.27
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.04
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.27
$1.4
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.93
$1.13
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.34
$2.48
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$10
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.11
$4.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14
$7.71
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.89
$2.41
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.37
$1.86
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.47
$1.36
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.75
$1.74
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$1.57
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$1.45
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.68
$0.49
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.05
$1.83
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.5
$8.17
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.28
$1.24
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.96
$2.23
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.1
$4.84
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.99
$3.35
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.75
$1.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.91
$0.98
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55.9
$24.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.01
$7.65
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$66.7
$57.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.8
$10.4
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.6
$51.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$119
$84.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$501
$482
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12846
$13135

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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 Sao Paulo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Sao Caetano do Sul
$716
13 km or 8.3 mi Taboao da Serra
$665
14 km or 8.6 mi Guarulhos
$691
15 km or 9.4 mi Diadema
$674
16 km or 9.7 mi Santo Andre
$644
16 km or 10 mi Osasco
$686
17 km or 11 mi Sao Bernardo do Campo
$657
21 km or 13 mi Carapicuiba
$573
22 km or 14 mi Maua
$663
23 km or 15 mi Caieiras
$640
25 km or 15 mi Embu das Artes
$627
25 km or 16 mi Barueri
$738
26 km or 16 mi Mairipora
$640
26 km or 16 mi Franco da Rocha
$639
27 km or 17 mi Ferraz de Vasconcelos
$643
28 km or 17 mi Jandira
$640
29 km or 18 mi Ribeirao Pires
$639
29 km or 18 mi Itapecerica da Serra
$631
30 km or 18 mi Poa
$633
30 km or 18 mi Cotia
$621
30 km or 19 mi Itaquaquecetuba
$656
31 km or 19 mi Itapevi
$606
31 km or 19 mi Santana de Parnaiba
$647
32 km or 20 mi Francisco Morato
$645
33 km or 20 mi Itanhaem
$641
33 km or 20 mi Cajamar
$679
36 km or 22 mi Embu-Guacu
$636
36 km or 22 mi Aruja
$639
41 km or 26 mi Campo Limpo Paulista
$661
43 km or 26 mi Varzea Paulista
$674
44 km or 27 mi Cubatao
$640
45 km or 28 mi Mogi das Cruzes
$698
48 km or 30 mi Jundiai
$742
49 km or 30 mi Atibaia
$595
51 km or 32 mi Sao Roque
$630
52 km or 32 mi Sao Vicente
$653
55 km or 34 mi Santos
$746
56 km or 35 mi Praia Grande
$650
61 km or 38 mi Bertioga
$638
61 km or 38 mi Ibiuna
$629