San Jose at a glance
- San Jose ranks 7th of 9 priced cities in Costa Rica on cost: $1,138 a month in essentials, 48% above Puntarenas, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,084 covers that 1.0×.
- 108.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at distrito level.
- PM2.5 averages 7.8 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 9 Costa Rica cities we track, so every row says whether San Jose is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,138 | $1,138 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $459 | $459 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $742 | $742 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $276 | $276 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $239 | $239 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $148 | $148 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $16 | $16 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,084 | $1,084 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $852 | $852 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,384 | $1,384 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in San Jose, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.64 | $10.64 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $52.80 | $52.80 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $9.28 | $9.28 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.34 | $3.34 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.85 | $1.85 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.50 | $3.50 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.94 | $1.94 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.50 | $1.50 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.90 | $1.90 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.17 | $2.17 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.37 | $2.37 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $6.63 | $6.63 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.98 | $9.98 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $12.89 | $12.89 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $9.30 | $9.30 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.60 | $2.60 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.93 | $2.93 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.11 | $3.11 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $4.02 | $4.02 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $4.05 | $4.05 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.24 | $1.24 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $15.50 | $15.50 | same |
| Taxi start | $2.48 | $2.48 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $2.69 | $2.69 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.46 | $1.46 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $97.34 | $97.34 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $50.49 | $50.49 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $24.38 | $24.38 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $65.52 | $65.52 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.16 | $10.16 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
San Jose has 108.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (distrito level). That is the 3rd-highest of 11 Costa Rica cities we track. Costa Rica's national figure is 102.9, so San Jose runs 6 above the country as a whole.
Every Costa Rica region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How San Jose ranks against every city we track
San Jose sits ahead of 79% of the 1016 cities we track on clean air. On local salary it is ahead of 58% of 999. Its weakest measure is women aged 20–39, ahead of only 15% of 1001.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where San Jose sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put San Jose on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for San Jose beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open San Jose in the research deskOr unlock the Costa Rica deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: NASA Astronauts, Public domain.
Data updated