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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Sao Paulo
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1454
$1115
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3624
$2824
🏠 One person rent
$697
$537
🏘️ Family rent
$1213
$943
🍽️ Food expenses
$527
$318
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$147
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$935
$794
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
60
96
😀 Quality of life
72
74
🏙️ Population
335K
11.5M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 30% more expensive than in Sao Paulo. Cities ranked 4213th and 5003rd ($1454 vs $1115) 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 0.6 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 3173rd and 2408th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$11.2
$7.85
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51
$38.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.4
$7.52
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$2.45
☕ Cappuccino
$4.68
$2.66
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.14
$1.26
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$821
$631
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$531
$419
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1484
$1111
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$973
$769
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$54.9
$56.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$83.8
$85.4
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$53.3
$19.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.69%
11.97%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2465
$2842
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1757
$2178
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$48.8
$49.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.1
$7.86
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.15
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.26
$1.13
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.62
$1.63
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$1.28
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.03
$2.81
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.5
$12.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.94
$5.07
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$10.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.34
$2.7
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.82
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.35
$1.63
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.48
$1.86
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.75
$1.34
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.18
$1.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$0.54
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.28
$2.25
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$20.3
$9.77
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.64
$1.45
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.46
$2.76
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.15
$5.92
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.92
$3.82
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.47
$1.68
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.31
$1.29
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$59.8
$31.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.93
$8.87
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$96.4
$55.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$15.9
$11.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.6
$61.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$129
$105
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$704
$494
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14663
$16798

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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 Sao Paulo

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.3 mi Sao Caetano do Sul
$795
13 km or 8.3 mi Taboao da Serra
$754
14 km or 8.6 mi Guarulhos
$753
15 km or 9.4 mi Diadema
$753
16 km or 9.7 mi Santo Andre
$742
16 km or 10 mi Osasco
$782
17 km or 11 mi Sao Bernardo do Campo
$699
21 km or 13 mi Carapicuiba
$645
22 km or 14 mi Maua
$746
23 km or 15 mi Caieiras
$741
25 km or 15 mi Embu das Artes
$753
25 km or 16 mi Barueri
$883
26 km or 16 mi Mairipora
$724
26 km or 16 mi Franco da Rocha
$752
27 km or 17 mi Ferraz de Vasconcelos
$687
28 km or 17 mi Jandira
$750
29 km or 18 mi Ribeirao Pires
$716
29 km or 18 mi Itapecerica da Serra
$754
30 km or 18 mi Poa
$684
30 km or 18 mi Cotia
$841
30 km or 19 mi Itaquaquecetuba
$723
31 km or 19 mi Itapevi
$700
31 km or 19 mi Santana de Parnaiba
$741
32 km or 20 mi Francisco Morato
$753
33 km or 20 mi Itanhaem
$715
33 km or 20 mi Cajamar
$741
36 km or 22 mi Embu-Guacu
$727
36 km or 22 mi Aruja
$713
41 km or 26 mi Campo Limpo Paulista
$739
43 km or 26 mi Varzea Paulista
$737
44 km or 27 mi Cubatao
$695
45 km or 28 mi Mogi das Cruzes
$789
48 km or 30 mi Jundiai
$783
49 km or 30 mi Atibaia
$651
51 km or 32 mi Sao Roque
$725
52 km or 32 mi Sao Vicente
$655
55 km or 34 mi Santos
$882
56 km or 35 mi Praia Grande
$691
61 km or 38 mi Bertioga
$703
61 km or 38 mi Ibiuna
$719