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

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Livingcost

San Jose Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1239
$2908
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3174
$7212
🏠 One person rent
$555
$1829
🏘️ Family rent
$1038
$3413
🍽️ Food expenses
$479
$707
🚐 Transport expenses
$75
$161
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$923
$6392
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
60
80
😀 Quality of life
65
92
🏙️ Population
342K
737K

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 57% less expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 4497th and 206th ($1239 vs $2908) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 5th and 168th 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 2.2 months in Seattle. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Seattle ranked 16th in the United States, while ranked 4226th and 102nd 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
$10.6
$19.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$49.2
$89.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.49
$12.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.03
$8.02
☕ Cappuccino
$4.75
$5.61
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.91
$3.13
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$645
$1947
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$417
$1538
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1229
$3856
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$842
$2943
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$47.5
$142
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$73.6
$220
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.7
$67.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.24%
6.42%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1929
$7855
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1540
$5704
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.94
$2.77
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.8
$97.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.2
$18
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.25
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.17
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.27
$3.71
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.93
$4.4
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.34
$4.47
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$17.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.11
$13.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14
$20.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.89
$4.95
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.37
$1.82
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.47
$4.93
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.75
$5.33
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$2.81
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.6
$3.32
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.68
$1.63
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.05
$3.04
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.5
$15.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.28
$2.79
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.96
$12.1
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.1
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.99
$5.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.75
$6.97
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.91
$2.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55.9
$63.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.01
$16.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$66.7
$183
💇 Haircut, simple
$12.8
$25.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.6
$67.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$119
$94.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$501
$2227
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12846
$28179

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Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1246
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1233
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$961
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1277
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1201
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1310
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$898
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1687
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$890
246 km or 153 mi David
$833
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$664
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$697
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$712
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$774
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$550
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1056
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$457
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$639
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1098
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$638
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1091
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1182
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$953
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1249
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1384
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1231
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1249
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$829
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1081
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1088
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$715
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$734
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1192
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1173
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1161
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1145
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1202
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$650
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$883

Cities near Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2759
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3179
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$2901
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2542
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2512
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2904
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$3091
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2301
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3229
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2784
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2489
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2866
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2743
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2821
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2655
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2512
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2769
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2491
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2819
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2692
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2449
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2515
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2619
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2172
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2569
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2348
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2655
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2774
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2581
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2417
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2576
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2307
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2534
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2435
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2609
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2612
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2314
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2546
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2577
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2263