San José vs Vancouver Cost of Living
San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6 — Vancouver (Canada) · Overall index 67.8
Summary
- Overall, Vancouver is 67% more expensive than San José.
- Rent in Vancouver is 79% more expensive than in San José.
- Transport in Vancouver is 78% more expensive than in San José.
| Item | San José | Vancouver | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +79% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,069 | $2,238 | +109% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $777 | $1,452 | +87% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,334 | $3,668 | +57% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,550 | $2,620 | +69% |
| Groceries | +60% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.71 | $1.13 | +59% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.04 | $3.03 | +49% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.87 | $4.07 | +42% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.46 | $3.5 | +42% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.04 | $12.4 | +76% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.44 | $11.4 | +77% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.2 | $15.3 | +50% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.91 | $4.33 | +49% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.01 | $1.87 | +85% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.59 | $3.85 | +49% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.93 | $4.99 | +70% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.59 | $2.7 | +70% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.33 | $2.44 | +83% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.44 | $2.27 | +58% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.22 | $1.83 | +50% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.89 | $12.8 | +62% |
| Transport | +78% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.11 | $2.09 | +88% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $53.2 | $103 | +94% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.61 | $2.83 | +76% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.78 | $1.43 | +83% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.43 | $0.7 | +63% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $12,080 | $20,323 | +68% |
| Dining out | +75% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.2 | $18.3 | +63% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $50.3 | $96.1 | +91% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.05 | $8.11 | +61% |
| Cappuccino | $2.48 | $4.64 | +87% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.28 | $1.84 | +44% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.39 | $6.06 | +79% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.32 | $6.37 | +92% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.88 | $1.63 | +85% |
| Telecom | +48% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $37.6 | $47.5 | +26% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $40.9 | $62.1 | +52% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.28 | +47% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.04 | $13.4 | +67% |
| Utilities & household | +65% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $80.6 | $156 | +94% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.12 | $0.19 | +58% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.39 | $4.27 | +79% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.65 | $1.21 | +86% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $12 | $18 | +50% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $45.3 | $74.4 | +64% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.6 | $13.6 | +79% |
| Men's haircut | $17.5 | $25.1 | +43% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $14.1 | $22.4 | +59% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,152 | $1,656 | +44% |
3,448 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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