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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1454
$3154
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3624
$7508
🏠 One person rent
$697
$1981
🏘️ Family rent
$1213
$3422
🍽️ Food expenses
$527
$796
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$169
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$935
$6532
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
60
80
😀 Quality of life
72
95
🏙️ Population
335K
737K

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 54% less expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 4213th and 142nd ($1454 vs $3154) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 101st 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 0.6 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 5th in the United States, while ranked 3173rd and 32nd 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
$11.2
$22.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51
$96.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.4
$14.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$7.73
☕ Cappuccino
$4.68
$6.45
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.14
$2.97
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$821
$2110
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$531
$1647
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1484
$3872
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$973
$2891
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$54.9
$169
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$83.8
$262
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$53.3
$72.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.69%
6.53%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2465
$7394
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1757
$5077
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1
$3.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$48.8
$111
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.1
$16.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.21
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.26
$1.44
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.62
$4.47
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$4.23
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.03
$6.95
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.5
$20.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.94
$16.8
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$21.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.34
$5.6
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$2.27
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.35
$5.07
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.48
$6.09
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.75
$3.03
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.18
$3.45
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.74
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.28
$3.47
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$20.3
$17.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.64
$3.65
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.46
$12.5
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.15
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.92
$8.04
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.47
$6.86
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.31
$2.42
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$59.8
$83.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.93
$17.8
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$96.4
$147
💇 Haircut, simple
$15.9
$24.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.6
$69.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$129
$122
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$704
$2521
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14663
$28950

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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 Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2896
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3292
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$3041
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2681
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2717
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2855
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$2778
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2604
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3559
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2702
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2807
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2737
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2915
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2739
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2798
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2677
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2734
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2475
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2814
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2717
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2587
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2656
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2674
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2325
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2641
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2519
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2720
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2828
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2641
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2582
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2628
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2362
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2584
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2558
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2710
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2754
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2456
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2539
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2747
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2173