San José vs New York Cost of Living
San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6 — New York (United States) · Overall index 100.0
Summary
- Overall, New York is 146% more expensive than San José.
- Rent in New York is 253% more expensive than in San José.
- Dining out in New York is 150% more expensive than in San José.
| Item | San José | New York | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +253% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,069 | $4,328 | +305% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $777 | $2,796 | +260% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,334 | $7,980 | +242% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,550 | $4,915 | +217% |
| Groceries | +114% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.71 | $1.48 | +108% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.04 | $4.03 | +98% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.87 | $5.54 | +93% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.46 | $5.18 | +111% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.04 | $16.5 | +134% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.44 | $13.6 | +111% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.2 | $22.8 | +124% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.91 | $6.73 | +131% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.01 | $2.56 | +153% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.59 | $5.31 | +105% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.93 | $6.04 | +106% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.59 | $3.01 | +89% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.33 | $3.09 | +132% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.44 | $2.85 | +98% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.22 | $2.81 | +130% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.89 | $17 | +115% |
| Transport | +148% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.11 | $2.75 | +148% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $53.2 | $145 | +173% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.61 | $4.13 | +157% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.78 | $2.06 | +164% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.43 | $0.93 | +116% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $12,080 | $29,178 | +142% |
| Dining out | +150% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.2 | $25.5 | +128% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $50.3 | $140 | +178% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.05 | $12.7 | +151% |
| Cappuccino | $2.48 | $5.58 | +125% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.28 | $3.23 | +152% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.39 | $8.19 | +142% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.32 | $8.34 | +151% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $2.48 | +182% |
| Telecom | +79% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $37.6 | $64.2 | +71% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $40.9 | $66.9 | +64% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.38 | +100% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.04 | $14.9 | +85% |
| Utilities & household | +110% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $80.6 | $173 | +115% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.12 | $0.25 | +108% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.39 | $4.81 | +101% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.65 | $1.75 | +169% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $12 | $23.6 | +97% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $45.3 | $94.7 | +109% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.6 | $16.6 | +118% |
| Men's haircut | $17.5 | $36.8 | +110% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $14.1 | $25.1 | +78% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,152 | $2,473 | +115% |
3,459 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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