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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Tijuana
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1454
$1295
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3624
$3053
🏠 One person rent
$697
$616
🏘️ Family rent
$1213
$1076
🍽️ Food expenses
$527
$416
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$156
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$935
$1025
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
60
22
😀 Quality of life
72
62
🏙️ Population
335K
1.96M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 12% more expensive than in Tijuana. Cities ranked 4213th and 4578th ($1454 vs $1295) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 9th in Costa Rica and Mexico, respectively. Check Costa Rica vs Mexico comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.6 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 0.8 months in Tijuana. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Tijuana ranked 6th in Mexico, while ranked 3173rd and 5712th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Share this infographic!

Prices in San Jose, Costa Rica vs Tijuana

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

San Jose Tijuana
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$11.2
$12
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51
$34.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.4
$9.96
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$4.68
$4.63
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.14
$1.33
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$821
$768
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$531
$500
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1484
$1368
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$973
$905
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$54.9
$30.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$83.8
$46.9
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$53.3
$31.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
9.69%
12.01%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2465
$3269
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1757
$2686
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1
$1.1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$48.8
$37.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.1
$19.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.41
$1.46
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.26
$2.1
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.62
$2.84
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$1.86
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.03
$3.29
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.5
$7.47
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.94
$9.46
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$12.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.34
$2.78
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.74
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.35
$1.97
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.48
$1.83
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.75
$1.62
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.18
$1.86
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$0.7
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.28
$2.29
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$20.3
$8.74
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.64
$2.37
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.46
$4.65
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.15
$8.04
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.92
$4.27
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.47
$2.07
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.31
$2.84
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$59.8
$42.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.93
$6.86
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$96.4
$48.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$15.9
$12.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.6
$56.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$129
$104
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$704
$220
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14663
$4857

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

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
$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 Tijuana

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.5 mi Imperial Beach
$2933
11 km or 6.9 mi Chula Vista
$2995
15 km or 9.5 mi Las Delicias
$1141
18 km or 11 mi National
$3053
21 km or 13 mi Rosarito Beach
$1138
22 km or 14 mi Coronado
$3220
23 km or 15 mi Lemon Grove
$2995
24 km or 15 mi San Diego
$3507
27 km or 17 mi La Mesa
$2963
30 km or 19 mi El Cajon
$3040
38 km or 24 mi Santee
$2948
42 km or 26 mi La Jolla
$3033
48 km or 30 mi Poway
$2995
62 km or 38 mi Encinitas
$3243
66 km or 41 mi Escondido
$3261
69 km or 43 mi San Marcos
$2995
76 km or 47 mi Carlsbad
$3245
77 km or 48 mi Vista
$2976
81 km or 50 mi Oceanside
$3251
84 km or 52 mi Ensenada
$968
96 km or 59 mi Fallbrook
$2927
109 km or 67 mi Temecula
$2676
115 km or 72 mi San Clemente
$2963
117 km or 73 mi Murrieta
$3070
119 km or 74 mi French Valley
$2758
121 km or 75 mi Wildomar
$2815
122 km or 76 mi Dana Point
$3030
123 km or 77 mi San Juan Capistrano
$3085
128 km or 80 mi Laguna Niguel
$3513
128 km or 80 mi Menifee
$2621
131 km or 82 mi Laguna Beach
$3122
131 km or 82 mi Lake Elsinore
$2669
134 km or 83 mi Mission Viejo
$3544
135 km or 84 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$2980
135 km or 84 mi Laguna Hills
$3027
135 km or 84 mi Hemet
$2767
138 km or 86 mi Aliso Viejo
$3449
138 km or 86 mi Lake Forest
$2554
139 km or 87 mi El Centro
$2752
140 km or 87 mi San Jacinto
$2667