San José vs Los Angeles Cost of Living
San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6 — Los Angeles (United States) · Overall index 84.3
Summary
- Overall, Los Angeles is 108% more expensive than San José.
- Rent in Los Angeles is 154% more expensive than in San José.
- Transport in Los Angeles is 126% more expensive than in San José.
| Item | San José | Los Angeles | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +154% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,069 | $3,015 | +182% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $777 | $2,094 | +169% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,334 | $5,390 | +131% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,550 | $3,727 | +140% |
| Groceries | +91% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.71 | $1.22 | +72% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.04 | $4.23 | +107% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.87 | $5.36 | +87% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.46 | $4.45 | +81% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.04 | $12.9 | +83% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.44 | $13.9 | +116% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.2 | $19.4 | +90% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.91 | $5.63 | +93% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.01 | $2.08 | +106% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.59 | $4.73 | +83% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.93 | $5.89 | +101% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.59 | $2.66 | +67% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.33 | $2.62 | +97% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.44 | $2.64 | +83% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.22 | $2.4 | +97% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.89 | $15.1 | +91% |
| Transport | +126% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.11 | $2.52 | +127% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $53.2 | $123 | +131% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.61 | $3.66 | +127% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.78 | $1.93 | +147% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.43 | $0.95 | +121% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $12,080 | $24,629 | +104% |
| Dining out | +115% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.2 | $19.4 | +73% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $50.3 | $120 | +139% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.05 | $10.6 | +110% |
| Cappuccino | $2.48 | $5.3 | +114% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.28 | $2.52 | +97% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.39 | $7.79 | +130% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.32 | $8.45 | +155% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $1.83 | +108% |
| Telecom | +59% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $37.6 | $53.8 | +43% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $40.9 | $58.1 | +42% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.32 | +68% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.04 | $15 | +87% |
| Utilities & household | +100% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $80.6 | $181 | +125% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.12 | $0.24 | +100% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.39 | $4.85 | +103% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.65 | $1.31 | +102% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $12 | $22.7 | +89% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $45.3 | $88.5 | +95% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.6 | $16.8 | +121% |
| Men's haircut | $17.5 | $30.7 | +75% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $14.1 | $27.9 | +98% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,152 | $2,276 | +98% |
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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