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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1574
$3183
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3920
$7493
🏠 One person rent
$747
$1996
🏘️ Family rent
$1276
$3450
🍽️ Food expenses
$579
$789
🚐 Transport expenses
$85.8
$175
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1063
$6618
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
60
80
😀 Quality of life
73
91
🏙️ Population
335K
737K

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 51% less expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 3714th and 126th ($1574 vs $3183) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 94th in Costa Rica and the United States, respectively. Check Costa Rica vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 2.1 months in Seattle. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Seattle ranked 33rd in the United States, while ranked 2425th and 147th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in San Jose, Costa Rica vs Seattle

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

San Jose Seattle
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$12.8
$20.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$49.5
$92.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.8
$14.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.36
$7.95
☕ Cappuccino
$5.2
$6.46
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.34
$2.94
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$821
$2109
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$585
$1647
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1456
$3900
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1048
$2895
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$58.3
$182
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$89.7
$279
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$56.7
$74.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.32%
6.32%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2299
$7971
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1800
$5180
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.09
$2.99
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$56.4
$117
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16
$17.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.45
$1.29
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.43
$1.23
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.01
$4.33
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$4.83
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.5
$5.97
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.8
$21.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.83
$18.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.9
$22.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$5.72
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.73
$1.92
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.77
$5.39
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.76
$6.03
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$3.17
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.66
$3.34
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.1
$1.75
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.6
$3.43
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$23.3
$16.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.92
$4.09
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.9
$13.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$9.27
$9.26
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.95
$7.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.95
$5.8
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.6
$2.36
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.5
$81.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.55
$17.8
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$104
$167
💇 Haircut, simple
$16
$28.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.9
$76.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$140
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$814
$2124
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16872
$30033

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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
$1471
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1362
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1361
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$872
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1228
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1325
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1024
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1929
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$844
246 km or 153 mi David
$909
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$796
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$706
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$817
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$788
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$665
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1112
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$503
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$759
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$716
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1147
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$791
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1144
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1185
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$982
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1396
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1590
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1373
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1361
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$909
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1132
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1123
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$678
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$756
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1291
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1261
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1254
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1231
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1183
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$619
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$832

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2843
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3164
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$3012
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2648
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2678
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2827
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$2782
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2621
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3602
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2749
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2783
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2734
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2884
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2728
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2797
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2637
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2736
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2479
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2775
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2714
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2542
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2617
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2709
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2342
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2727
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2429
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2722
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2822
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2670
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2576
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2661
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2378
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2616
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2592
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2690
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2773
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2475
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2580
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2765
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2098