Los Angeles vs San José Cost of Living
Los Angeles (United States) · Overall index 84.3 — San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6
Summary
- Overall, San José is 52% cheaper than Los Angeles.
- Rent in San José is 61% cheaper than in Los Angeles.
- Transport in San José is 56% cheaper than in Los Angeles.
| Item | Los Angeles | San José | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -61% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,015 | $1,069 | -65% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,094 | $777 | -63% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,390 | $2,334 | -57% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,727 | $1,550 | -58% |
| Groceries | -48% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.22 | $0.71 | -42% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.23 | $2.04 | -52% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.36 | $2.87 | -46% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.45 | $2.46 | -45% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.9 | $7.04 | -45% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $13.9 | $6.44 | -54% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.4 | $10.2 | -47% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.63 | $2.91 | -48% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.08 | $1.01 | -51% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.73 | $2.59 | -45% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.89 | $2.93 | -50% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.66 | $1.59 | -40% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.62 | $1.33 | -49% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.64 | $1.44 | -45% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.4 | $1.22 | -49% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $7.89 | -48% |
| Transport | -56% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.52 | $1.11 | -56% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $123 | $53.2 | -57% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.66 | $1.61 | -56% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.93 | $0.78 | -60% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.95 | $0.43 | -55% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $24,629 | $12,080 | -51% |
| Dining out | -54% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $19.4 | $11.2 | -42% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $120 | $50.3 | -58% |
| Fast food combo meal | $10.6 | $5.05 | -52% |
| Cappuccino | $5.3 | $2.48 | -53% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.52 | $1.28 | -49% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $7.79 | $3.39 | -56% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.45 | $3.32 | -61% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.83 | $0.88 | -52% |
| Telecom | -37% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $53.8 | $37.6 | -30% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $58.1 | $40.9 | -30% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.32 | $0.19 | -41% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $15 | $8.04 | -46% |
| Utilities & household | -50% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $181 | $80.6 | -55% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.24 | $0.12 | -50% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.85 | $2.39 | -51% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.31 | $0.65 | -50% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $22.7 | $12 | -47% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $88.5 | $45.3 | -49% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $16.8 | $7.6 | -55% |
| Men's haircut | $30.7 | $17.5 | -43% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $27.9 | $14.1 | -49% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,276 | $1,152 | -49% |
3,544 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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