Vancouver vs San José Cost of Living
Vancouver (Canada) · Overall index 67.8 — San José (Costa Rica) · Overall index 40.6
Summary
- Overall, San José is 40% cheaper than Vancouver.
- Rent in San José is 44% cheaper than in Vancouver.
- Transport in San José is 44% cheaper than in Vancouver.
| Item | Vancouver | San José | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -44% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,238 | $1,069 | -52% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,452 | $777 | -46% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,668 | $2,334 | -36% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,620 | $1,550 | -41% |
| Groceries | -38% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.13 | $0.71 | -37% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.03 | $2.04 | -33% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.07 | $2.87 | -29% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.5 | $2.46 | -30% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.4 | $7.04 | -43% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $11.4 | $6.44 | -44% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.3 | $10.2 | -33% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.33 | $2.91 | -33% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.87 | $1.01 | -46% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.85 | $2.59 | -33% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.99 | $2.93 | -41% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.7 | $1.59 | -41% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.44 | $1.33 | -45% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.27 | $1.44 | -37% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.83 | $1.22 | -33% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $12.8 | $7.89 | -38% |
| Transport | -44% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.09 | $1.11 | -47% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $103 | $53.2 | -48% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.83 | $1.61 | -43% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.43 | $0.78 | -45% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.7 | $0.43 | -39% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $20,323 | $12,080 | -41% |
| Dining out | -43% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.3 | $11.2 | -39% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $96.1 | $50.3 | -48% |
| Fast food combo meal | $8.11 | $5.05 | -38% |
| Cappuccino | $4.64 | $2.48 | -47% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.84 | $1.28 | -30% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $6.06 | $3.39 | -44% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.37 | $3.32 | -48% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.63 | $0.88 | -46% |
| Telecom | -32% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $47.5 | $37.6 | -21% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $62.1 | $40.9 | -34% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.28 | $0.19 | -32% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.4 | $8.04 | -40% |
| Utilities & household | -39% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $156 | $80.6 | -48% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.12 | -37% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.27 | $2.39 | -44% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.21 | $0.65 | -46% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18 | $12 | -33% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $74.4 | $45.3 | -39% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.6 | $7.6 | -44% |
| Men's haircut | $25.1 | $17.5 | -30% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $22.4 | $14.1 | -37% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,656 | $1,152 | -30% |
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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