San José vs San Francisco Cost of Living
San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 134% more expensive than San José.
- Rent in San Francisco is 218% more expensive than in San José.
- Transport in San Francisco is 153% more expensive than in San José.
| Item | San José | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +218% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,069 | $3,208 | +200% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $777 | $2,609 | +236% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,334 | $7,487 | +221% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,550 | $4,864 | +214% |
| Groceries | +100% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.71 | $1.31 | +85% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.04 | $4.2 | +106% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.87 | $5.82 | +103% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.46 | $4.57 | +86% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.04 | $16.3 | +132% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.44 | $12.6 | +96% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.2 | $22.3 | +119% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.91 | $5.88 | +102% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.01 | $2.46 | +144% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.59 | $4.54 | +75% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.93 | $5.5 | +88% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.59 | $3.06 | +92% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.33 | $2.72 | +105% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.44 | $2.75 | +91% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.22 | $2.41 | +98% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.89 | $15.4 | +95% |
| Transport | +153% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.11 | $3.1 | +179% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $53.2 | $139 | +161% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.61 | $4.48 | +178% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.78 | $1.91 | +145% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.43 | $0.99 | +130% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $12,080 | $27,640 | +129% |
| Dining out | +136% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.2 | $21.5 | +92% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $50.3 | $115 | +129% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.05 | $11.6 | +130% |
| Cappuccino | $2.48 | $5.52 | +123% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.28 | $3.04 | +138% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.39 | $8.59 | +153% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.32 | $8.71 | +162% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $2.32 | +164% |
| Telecom | +87% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $37.6 | $68.5 | +82% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $40.9 | $71.8 | +76% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.37 | +95% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.04 | $15.8 | +97% |
| Utilities & household | +109% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $80.6 | $176 | +118% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.12 | $0.23 | +92% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.39 | $5.1 | +113% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.65 | $1.47 | +126% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $12 | $25.8 | +115% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $45.3 | $94.8 | +109% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.6 | $17.5 | +130% |
| Men's haircut | $17.5 | $33.2 | +90% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $14.1 | $29.6 | +110% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,152 | $2,199 | +91% |
3,561 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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