San JosévsEl Zonte
💰
El Zonte saves you $500/month
29% cheaper on rent, food & transport
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
San José
El Zonte
Total Budget
$1,700/mo
$1,200/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$670/mo
$500/mo ✓
Coworking
$175/mo
$120/mo ✓
Meal Out
$6
$4 ✓
Coffee
$3
$2 ✓
El Zonte is $500/mo cheaper (42% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇨🇷 San José
📶 Internet80 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌍 El Zonte
📶 Internet70 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
San José
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp20°C
Rainy Days231/year
Best months: February, January, March, April
El Zonte
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days191/year
Best months: February, January, March, December
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
20°27°
Apr
21°28°
Jul
21°27°
Oct
19°26°
San JoséEl Zonte
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇨🇷San José
🌍El Zonte
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,700
$1,200
Winner📶
Internet Speed
80 Mbps
70 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.2/5
4.2/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
3.8/10
4/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
7/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
Winner4/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
7/10
👥
Community
large
Winnersmall
2
San José wins
vs
2
El Zonte wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
El Zonte
$500/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
San José
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
El Zonte
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
San José
World-famous nightlife scene
🇨🇷San José
Pros
- +Gateway to Costa Rica's natural wonders
- +Digital nomad visa available since 2022
- +Excellent healthcare system
- +Year-round spring-like weather
Cons
- −Higher cost than other LATAM cities
- −Traffic congestion is severe
- −Downtown safety concerns at night
- −No beach or surf in city
🌍El Zonte
Pros
- +World-class surfing with consistent year-round waves
- +Bitcoin Beach - pioneering cryptocurrency adoption
- +Extremely affordable cost of living (30-40% cheaper than Costa Rica)
- +Very safe with Level 1 US travel advisory
Cons
- −Limited coworking space options in town
- −Internet can be inconsistent compared to major cities
- −Rainy season May-October brings heavy downpours
- −Small town with limited nightlife and entertainment
