San Diego vs San José Cost of Living
San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0 — San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6
Summary
- Overall, San José is 49% cheaper than San Diego.
- Rent in San José is 57% cheaper than in San Diego.
- Transport in San José is 56% cheaper than in San Diego.
| Item | San Diego | San José | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -57% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,906 | $1,069 | -63% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,560 | $777 | -50% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,348 | $2,334 | -56% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,541 | $1,550 | -56% |
| Groceries | -46% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.29 | $0.71 | -45% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.77 | $2.04 | -46% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.26 | $2.87 | -33% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.41 | $2.46 | -44% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $14.8 | $7.04 | -52% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.7 | $6.44 | -49% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.1 | $10.2 | -47% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.14 | $2.91 | -43% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.82 | $1.01 | -45% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.98 | $2.59 | -35% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.15 | $2.93 | -43% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.07 | $1.59 | -48% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.92 | $1.33 | -54% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.36 | $1.44 | -39% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.61 | $1.22 | -53% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $7.89 | -48% |
| Transport | -56% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.68 | $1.11 | -59% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $122 | $53.2 | -56% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.68 | $1.61 | -56% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.86 | $0.78 | -58% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.87 | $0.43 | -51% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $26,442 | $12,080 | -54% |
| Dining out | -51% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.6 | $11.2 | -50% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $107 | $50.3 | -53% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.9 | $5.05 | -58% |
| Cappuccino | $5.18 | $2.48 | -52% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.16 | $1.28 | -41% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.99 | $3.39 | -43% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.37 | $3.32 | -55% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.87 | $0.88 | -53% |
| Telecom | -37% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $63.4 | $37.6 | -41% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $55.3 | $40.9 | -26% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.19 | -39% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $8.04 | -40% |
| Utilities & household | -45% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $153 | $80.6 | -47% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.12 | -40% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.02 | $2.39 | -41% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.46 | $0.65 | -55% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $20.8 | $12 | -42% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $79.6 | $45.3 | -43% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.3 | $7.6 | -50% |
| Men's haircut | $27.1 | $17.5 | -35% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $26.6 | $14.1 | -47% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,070 | $1,152 | -44% |
3,301 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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