Cost of Living: New York vs Costa Rica (San José)
How expensive is Costa Rica compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and CRC — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- San José
- Price level vs US average
- 62.5 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2025 avg.)
- 1 USD = 503.5 CRC
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 314.5 CRC
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2025); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Costa Rica’s national average. Major cities — especially San José — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Costa Rica cheaper than New York?
Yes. Costa Rica is 45% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 55, New York = 100).
What salary in Costa Rica equals $100,000 in New York?
About $55,499 a year (about CRC 27,943,350 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Costa Rica as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is San José more expensive than Costa Rica’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Costa Rica’s national average price level; large cities such as San José typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2025 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.