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

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Livingcost

San Jose Tijuana
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1398
$1210
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3421
$2855
🏠 One person rent
$662
$568
🏘️ Family rent
$1102
$1004
🍽️ Food expenses
$509
$397
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$150
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$981
$988
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
60
22
😀 Quality of life
74
63
🏙️ Population
342K
1.96M

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 16% more expensive than in Tijuana. Cities ranked 4260th and 4681st ($1398 vs $1210) 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 0.7 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 5th in Mexico, while ranked 2458th and 5591st among best cities to live in the world.

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

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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
$10.2
$13.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51.6
$31.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.89
$9.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.74
$2.79
☕ Cappuccino
$4.55
$4.69
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.09
$1.51
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$804
$674
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$492
$467
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1349
$1199
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$868
$860
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$54.8
$31.6
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$84.9
$48.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$52.5
$27.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
10.54%
12.9%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2935
$3040
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1711
$2330
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1
$1.02
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$42.2
$44.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.2
$16.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.43
$1.31
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.08
$1.84
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.38
$2.45
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.16
$1.72
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.11
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.8
$6.91
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.68
$8.25
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.6
$11.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.14
$2.54
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.51
$1.64
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.29
$1.83
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.33
$1.66
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.53
$1.46
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.36
$1.74
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.94
$0.67
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$2
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$19.2
$10.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.44
$2.15
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.28
$4.21
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.15
$6.94
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.94
$4.33
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.05
$1.93
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.79
$2.6
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$56.8
$42.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.97
$5.94
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$94.6
$44.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$16.8
$11.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$60
$50.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$126
$90.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$609
$201
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12743
$4593

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Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1335
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1303
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1241
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$821
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1288
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1236
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$953
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1714
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$864
246 km or 153 mi David
$925
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$768
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$698
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$790
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$760
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$673
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$467
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$735
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$682
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1150
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$770
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1150
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1188
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$981
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1400
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1560
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1377
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1371
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$836
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1097
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1090
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$739
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$729
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1362
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1273
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1262
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1238
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1182
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$627
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$780

Cities near Tijuana

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.5 mi Imperial Beach
$2909
11 km or 6.9 mi Chula Vista
$2972
15 km or 9.5 mi Las Delicias
$1063
18 km or 11 mi National
$3013
21 km or 13 mi Rosarito Beach
$1055
22 km or 14 mi Coronado
$3195
23 km or 15 mi Lemon Grove
$2932
24 km or 15 mi San Diego
$3469
27 km or 17 mi La Mesa
$2943
30 km or 19 mi El Cajon
$2988
38 km or 24 mi Santee
$2887
42 km or 26 mi La Jolla
$2996
48 km or 30 mi Poway
$2922
62 km or 38 mi Encinitas
$3066
66 km or 41 mi Escondido
$3215
69 km or 43 mi San Marcos
$2931
76 km or 47 mi Carlsbad
$3252
77 km or 48 mi Vista
$2930
81 km or 50 mi Oceanside
$3274
84 km or 52 mi Ensenada
$903
96 km or 59 mi Fallbrook
$2873
109 km or 67 mi Temecula
$2681
115 km or 72 mi San Clemente
$2967
117 km or 73 mi Murrieta
$3049
119 km or 74 mi French Valley
$2715
121 km or 75 mi Wildomar
$2776
122 km or 76 mi Dana Point
$2994
123 km or 77 mi San Juan Capistrano
$3057
128 km or 80 mi Laguna Niguel
$3490
128 km or 80 mi Menifee
$2626
131 km or 82 mi Laguna Beach
$3075
131 km or 82 mi Lake Elsinore
$2671
134 km or 83 mi Mission Viejo
$3585
135 km or 84 mi Rancho Santa Margarita
$3014
135 km or 84 mi Laguna Hills
$3037
135 km or 84 mi Hemet
$2742
138 km or 86 mi Aliso Viejo
$3450
138 km or 86 mi Lake Forest
$2539
139 km or 87 mi El Centro
$2751
140 km or 87 mi San Jacinto
$2642