New York vs San José Cost of Living
New York (United States) · Overall index 100.0 — San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6
Summary
- Overall, San José is 59% cheaper than New York.
- Rent in San José is 72% cheaper than in New York.
- Dining out in San José is 60% cheaper than in New York.
| Item | New York | San José | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -72% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $4,328 | $1,069 | -75% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,796 | $777 | -72% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $7,980 | $2,334 | -71% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $4,915 | $1,550 | -68% |
| Groceries | -53% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.48 | $0.71 | -52% |
| White bread (500g) | $4.03 | $2.04 | -49% |
| Rice (1kg) | $5.54 | $2.87 | -48% |
| Eggs (12) | $5.18 | $2.46 | -53% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $16.5 | $7.04 | -57% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $13.6 | $6.44 | -53% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $22.8 | $10.2 | -55% |
| Apples (1kg) | $6.73 | $2.91 | -57% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $2.56 | $1.01 | -61% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $5.31 | $2.59 | -51% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $6.04 | $2.93 | -51% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.01 | $1.59 | -47% |
| Onions (1kg) | $3.09 | $1.33 | -57% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.85 | $1.44 | -49% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.81 | $1.22 | -57% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $17 | $7.89 | -54% |
| Transport | -60% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.75 | $1.11 | -60% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $145 | $53.2 | -63% |
| Taxi, base fare | $4.13 | $1.61 | -61% |
| Taxi, per km | $2.06 | $0.78 | -62% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.93 | $0.43 | -54% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $29,178 | $12,080 | -59% |
| Dining out | -60% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $25.5 | $11.2 | -56% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $140 | $50.3 | -64% |
| Fast food combo meal | $12.7 | $5.05 | -60% |
| Cappuccino | $5.58 | $2.48 | -56% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.23 | $1.28 | -60% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $8.19 | $3.39 | -59% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $8.34 | $3.32 | -60% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.48 | $0.88 | -65% |
| Telecom | -44% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $64.2 | $37.6 | -41% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $66.9 | $40.9 | -39% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.38 | $0.19 | -50% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.9 | $8.04 | -46% |
| Utilities & household | -52% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $173 | $80.6 | -53% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.25 | $0.12 | -52% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.81 | $2.39 | -50% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.75 | $0.65 | -63% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $23.6 | $12 | -49% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $94.7 | $45.3 | -52% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $16.6 | $7.6 | -54% |
| Men's haircut | $36.8 | $17.5 | -52% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $25.1 | $14.1 | -44% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,473 | $1,152 | -53% |
3,459 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
Keep your standard of living
Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
Compare other cities
vs