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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Sao Paulo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1398
$1052
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3421
$2682
🏠 One person rent
$662
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$1102
$872
🍽️ Food expenses
$509
$302
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$143
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$981
$701
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
60
95
😀 Quality of life
74
69
🏙️ Population
342K
11.5M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 33% more expensive than in Sao Paulo. Cities ranked 4260th and 5192nd ($1398 vs $1052) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd 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 0.7 months in Sao Paulo. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Sao Paulo ranked 1st in Brazil, while ranked 2458th and 4142nd 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
$10.2
$7.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51.6
$34
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.89
$7.12
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.74
$2.3
☕ Cappuccino
$4.55
$2.55
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.09
$1.19
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$804
$622
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$492
$380
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1349
$1124
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$868
$691
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$54.8
$48.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$84.9
$75
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$52.5
$18.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
10.54%
12.27%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2935
$2855
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1711
$1938
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1
$0.96
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$42.2
$48.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.2
$7.53
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.43
$1.11
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.08
$1.04
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.38
$1.56
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.16
$1.19
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.11
$2.66
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.8
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.68
$4.68
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.6
$9.54
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.14
$2.7
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.51
$1.84
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.29
$1.61
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.33
$1.82
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.53
$1.39
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.36
$1.26
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.94
$0.48
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$1.98
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$19.2
$8.72
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.44
$1.3
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.28
$2.55
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.15
$6.16
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.94
$4.2
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.05
$1.52
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.79
$1.39
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$56.8
$27.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.97
$7.81
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$94.6
$65.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$16.8
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$60
$55.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$126
$92.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$609
$475
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12743
$15428

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Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1335
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1303
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1241
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$821
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1288
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1236
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$953
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1714
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$864
246 km or 153 mi David
$925
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$768
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$698
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$790
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$760
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$673
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$467
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$735
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$682
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1150
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$770
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1150
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1188
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$981
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1400
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1560
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1377
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1371
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$836
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1097
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1090
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$739
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$729
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1362
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1273
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1262
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1238
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1182
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$627
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$780

Cities near Sao Paulo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Sao Caetano do Sul
$737
13 km or 8.3 mi Taboao da Serra
$701
14 km or 8.6 mi Guarulhos
$697
15 km or 9.4 mi Diadema
$698
16 km or 9.7 mi Santo Andre
$690
16 km or 10 mi Osasco
$712
17 km or 11 mi Sao Bernardo do Campo
$656
21 km or 13 mi Carapicuiba
$605
22 km or 14 mi Maua
$691
23 km or 15 mi Caieiras
$687
25 km or 15 mi Embu das Artes
$704
25 km or 16 mi Barueri
$830
26 km or 16 mi Mairipora
$671
26 km or 16 mi Franco da Rocha
$699
27 km or 17 mi Ferraz de Vasconcelos
$643
28 km or 17 mi Jandira
$699
29 km or 18 mi Ribeirao Pires
$665
29 km or 18 mi Itapecerica da Serra
$706
30 km or 18 mi Poa
$639
30 km or 18 mi Cotia
$780
30 km or 19 mi Itaquaquecetuba
$671
31 km or 19 mi Itapevi
$654
31 km or 19 mi Santana de Parnaiba
$689
32 km or 20 mi Francisco Morato
$702
33 km or 20 mi Itanhaem
$666
33 km or 20 mi Cajamar
$693
36 km or 22 mi Embu-Guacu
$678
36 km or 22 mi Aruja
$664
41 km or 26 mi Campo Limpo Paulista
$685
43 km or 26 mi Varzea Paulista
$687
44 km or 27 mi Cubatao
$657
45 km or 28 mi Mogi das Cruzes
$741
48 km or 30 mi Jundiai
$737
49 km or 30 mi Atibaia
$618
51 km or 32 mi Sao Roque
$673
52 km or 32 mi Sao Vicente
$648
55 km or 34 mi Santos
$816
56 km or 35 mi Praia Grande
$638
61 km or 38 mi Bertioga
$659
61 km or 38 mi Ibiuna
$666