Costa Rica
Costa Rica's central valley capital surrounded by volcanoes, serving as a gateway to the country's incredible biodiversity, cloud forests, and Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
#92 of 250
18% above average
Monthly cost, one adult
$ 1 706
Based on NYC = 100 index
Total does not include Healthcare — no scraped prices there (N/A)
San Jose is the 92. most expensive of the 250 cities we track — a month here comes to $ 1 706 for one adult.
Most of that goes on housing, which runs 11% above the median city and adds $ 115 a month: 1br apartment (city center) $ 1 228, 1br apartment (outside center) $ 1 086.
Cheaper here than almost anywhere else is entertainment, 54% below the median: fitness club (monthly) $ 36. You also get off lightly on restaurants.
Percentages compare this city against the median of all tracked cities, category by category.
41 prices on this page come from live scrapers (6 sources, observed September 16, 2026 to October 14, 2026). They are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit CostCompass and link this page.
CostCompass (2026). Cost of living in San Jose, Costa Rica. Data as of 2026-10-14. https://costcompass.net/living/cities/san-jose-costa-rica. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
| Item | Price (USD) | Observations | Last observed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (City Center) | 1,228.00 / month | 1 | 2026-09-16 | Encuentra24 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside Center) | 1,086.00 / month | 1 | 2026-09-16 | Encuentra24 |
| 3BR Apartment (City Center) | 2,500.00 / month | 1 | 2026-09-16 | Encuentra24 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside Center) | 2,000.00 / month | 1 | 2026-09-16 | Encuentra24 |
| Chicken Breast (1kg) | 8.00 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Latin American supermarkets (VTEX), Auto Mercado |
| Pork (1kg) | 7.43 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Latin American supermarkets (VTEX), Auto Mercado |
| Beef (1kg) | 9.01 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Latin American supermarkets (VTEX), Auto Mercado |
| Fish Fillet (1kg) | 10.93 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Latin American supermarkets (VTEX), Auto Mercado |
| Deli Meat / Ham (1kg) | 25.75 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Latin American supermarkets (VTEX), Auto Mercado |
| Milk (1 liter) | 2.25 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Yogurt (150g) | 1.56 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Cheese (1kg) | 12.00 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Butter (200g) | 4.65 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Bread (500g) | 2.65 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Bread Roll (1pc) | 0.64 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado |
| Pasta (500g) | 2.82 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Rice (1kg) | 1.69 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Oats (500g) | 3.05 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Potatoes (1kg) | 2.91 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | 3.33 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Bell Peppers (1kg) | 3.34 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Carrots (1kg) | 1.44 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Onions (1kg) | 3.53 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Garlic (1kg) | 6.37 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.33 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Apples (1kg) | 4.37 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Banana (1kg) | 1.39 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Oranges (1kg) | 4.21 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Lentils (1kg) | 3.72 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Canned Tomatoes (400g) | 2.03 / item | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado |
| Sunflower Oil (1L) | 2.85 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Flour (1kg) | 1.96 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Sugar (1kg) | 1.64 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Coffee (250g) | 6.21 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Water (1.5 liter) | 2.51 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Orange Juice (1L) | 3.37 / item | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Auto Mercado, Latin American supermarkets (VTEX) |
| Fitness Club (Monthly) | 36.44 / month | 2 | 2026-10-13 | Gym Chains, Americas Entertainment Chains |
| Jeans (Levis or Similar) | 45.56 / item | 1 | 2026-10-14 | Local Clothing Shops (frontier markets) |
| Summer Dress (Chain Store) | 61.49 / item | 1 | 2026-10-14 | Local Clothing Shops (frontier markets) |
| Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas) | 70.27 / pair | 1 | 2026-10-14 | Local Clothing Shops (frontier markets) |
| Business Shoes (Leather) | 61.26 / pair | 1 | 2026-10-07 | Local Clothing Shops (frontier markets) |
Cities where the money splits the same way
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Similar share of Housing & Utilities · compared on 7 of 8 categories
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Similar share of Housing & Utilities · compared on 7 of 8 categories
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Similar share of Housing & Restaurants · compared on 7 of 8 categories
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Monthly average costs by category
$ 1 157
per month
$ 182
per month
$ 116
per month
$ 53
per month
$ 134
per month
$ 36
per month
N/A
$ 29
per month