TulumvsSan José
💰
San José saves you $800/month
32% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
San José has 3x faster internet
80 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Tropical Wet vs Tropical Monsoon climate
Different weather patterns year-round
🛂
Costa Rica offers a digital nomad visa
Long-stay visa for remote workers
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Tulum
San José
Total Budget
$2,500/mo
$1,700/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$900/mo
$670/mo ✓
Coworking
$200/mo
$175/mo ✓
Meal Out
$15
$6 ✓
Coffee
$4
$3 ✓
San José is $800/mo cheaper (47% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇲🇽 Tulum
📶 Internet25 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🇨🇷 San José
📶 Internet80 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Tulum
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days183/year
Best months: February, April, May, January
San José
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp20°C
Rainy Days231/year
Best months: February, January, March, April
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
24°20°
Apr
27°21°
Jul
28°21°
Oct
26°19°
TulumSan José
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇲🇽Tulum
🇨🇷San José
💰
Monthly Budget
$2,500
$1,700
Winner📶
Internet Speed
25 Mbps
80 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
3.5/5
3.2/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.2/10
Winner3.8/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
8/10
7/10
🚶
Walkability
4/10
6/10
Winner👥
Community
medium
large
Winner1
Tulum wins
vs
4
San José wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
San José
$800/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
San José
80 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
San José
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇲🇽Tulum
Pros
- +Stunning beaches and cenotes
- +Wellness and yoga scene
- +Growing nomad community
- +Beautiful Mayan ruins
Cons
- −Very expensive for Mexico (3-4x)
- −Unreliable internet (5-25 Mbps)
- −No Uber - expensive taxis ($15-40)
- −Sargassum seaweed season
🇨🇷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
