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

Updated:

Livingcost

San Jose Zurich
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1169
$3380
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3119
$8333
🏠 One person rent
$496
$1991
🏘️ Family rent
$1078
$3524
🍽️ Food expenses
$471
$899
🚐 Transport expenses
$71.8
$214
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$877
$6558
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
8 km
🎓 Higher education
60
81
😀 Quality of life
67
97
🏙️ Population
342K
443K

The cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica is 65% less expensive than in Zurich. Cities ranked 4518th and 31st ($1169 vs $3380) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 2nd in Costa Rica and Switzerland, respectively. Check Costa Rica vs Switzerland comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica compared to 1.9 months in Zurich. San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st best city to live in Costa Rica vs Zurich ranked 1st in Switzerland, while ranked 4043rd and 6th among best cities to live in the world.

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

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Prices in San Jose, Costa Rica vs Zurich

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

San Jose Zurich
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.8
$25.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51.7
$114
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.47
$18.5
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.31
$8.65
 Cappuccino
$4.21
$6.14
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.78
$5.54
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$597
$2331
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$368
$1597
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1266
$4197
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$901
$2921
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$42.3
$193
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$64.2
$294
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$40
$54.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
8.83%
2.38%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1778
$11003
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1310
$7611
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.88
$5.03
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$40.7
$104
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.9
$40.6
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.45
$2.07
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.96
$1.97
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.32
$3.34
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.15
$3.21
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.59
$7.88
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.52
$21.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.16
$26
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$46.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.79
$3.99
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.38
$2.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.62
$3.42
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.58
$4.64
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.45
$2.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.21
$2.92
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.45
$1.11
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.02
$3.53
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$13.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.25
$2.44
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.81
$10
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.97
$19.7
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.01
$6.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.06
$3.6
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.18
$3.56
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$57.8
$91.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.43
$21.6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$62.4
$154
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.6
$50.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$84.2
$145
👟 Brand Sneakers
$113
$143
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$369
$2684
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9894
$29266

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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 Zurich

Distance City Cost of living
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Altstetten
$3073
6.4 km or 4 mi Dubendorf
$3200
11 km or 6.6 mi Dietikon
$2861
14 km or 8.6 mi Horgen
$3051
14 km or 8.6 mi Uster
$3059
16 km or 9.7 mi Bulach
$2930
19 km or 12 mi Wettingen
$3041
19 km or 12 mi Wadenswil
$3001
19 km or 12 mi Winterthur
$3178
20 km or 13 mi Wetzikon
$2949
20 km or 13 mi Baden
$3128
20 km or 13 mi Baar
$3083
23 km or 15 mi Zug
$3444
28 km or 17 mi Rapperswil-Jona
$2916
33 km or 21 mi Frauenfeld
$2436
36 km or 22 mi Schaffhausen
$2354
37 km or 23 mi Waldshut-Tiengen
$1533
37 km or 23 mi Aarau
$2142
38 km or 24 mi Emmen
$2882
40 km or 25 mi Wil
$2431
40 km or 25 mi Lucerne
$2925
43 km or 27 mi Kriens
$2838
48 km or 30 mi Singen
$1660
51 km or 32 mi Radolfzell
$1806
56 km or 35 mi Kreuzlingen
$2649
57 km or 36 mi Konstanz
$2182
60 km or 37 mi Rheinfelden
$1510
63 km or 39 mi St. Gallen
$2322
63 km or 39 mi Uberlingen
$1910
64 km or 40 mi Donaueschingen
$1412
70 km or 44 mi Riehen
$3296
71 km or 44 mi Tuttlingen
$1394
71 km or 44 mi Lorrach
$1492
74 km or 46 mi Weil am Rhein
$1499
74 km or 46 mi Basel
$2820
76 km or 47 mi Villingen-Schwenningen
$1326
77 km or 48 mi Saint-Louis
$1307
77 km or 48 mi Friedrichshafen
$1717
77 km or 48 mi Schaan
$2243
78 km or 48 mi Allschwil
$2846