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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1169
$2974
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3119
$7082
🏠 One person rent
$496
$1895
🏘️ Family rent
$1078
$3327
🍽️ Food expenses
$471
$708
🚐 Transport expenses
$71.8
$169
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$877
$6506
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
60
80
😀 Quality of life
67
90
🏙️ Population
342K
737K

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 61% less expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 4518th and 145th ($1169 vs $2974) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 120th 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 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 2.2 months in Seattle. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Seattle ranked 19th in the United States, while ranked 4043rd and 125th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica vs Seattle infographic

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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
$10.8
$18.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51.7
$85
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.47
$12.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.31
$8.28
 Cappuccino
$4.21
$5.9
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.78
$3.25
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$597
$2036
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$368
$1598
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1266
$3765
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$901
$2858
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$42.3
$144
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$64.2
$222
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40
$65.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
8.83%
6.59%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1778
$9273
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1310
$5449
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.88
$2.73
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.7
$96.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.9
$20.5
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.45
$1.3
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.96
$1.14
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.32
$3.63
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.15
$4.63
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.59
$4.6
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.52
$16
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.16
$15.2
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$20.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.79
$4.98
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.38
$2.12
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.62
$4.79
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.58
$5.73
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.45
$2.91
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.21
$3.35
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.45
$1.43
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.02
$3.1
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$16
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.25
$3.05
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.81
$11.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.97
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.01
$6.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.06
$6.93
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.18
$2.54
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$57.8
$62.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.43
$15
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$62.4
$177
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.6
$24.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$84.2
$62.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$113
$95.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$369
$1999
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9894
$29730

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Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1040
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1163
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1009
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1024
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1147
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1220
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1473
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$805
246 km or 153 mi David
$789
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$647
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$680
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$699
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$787
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$548
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$458
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$614
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$940
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$627
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$980
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1157
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$917
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1189
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1316
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1171
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1182
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1107
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1031
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$702
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$738
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1147
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1117
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1112
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1093
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1153
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$676
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$892

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2814
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3345
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$2920
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2514
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2507
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2810
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$3118
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2157
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3262
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2728
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2463
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2729
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2758
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2837
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2651
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2549
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2750
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2827
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2663
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2587
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2585
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2627
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2597
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2604
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2830
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2652
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2733
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2593
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2461
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2585
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2402
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2546
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2500
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2576
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2588
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2255
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2451
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2470
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2210