---
title: "Jacó vs San José for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/jaco-vs-san-jose
description: "Under balanced weights Jacó edges it, 64 to 61, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Jacó is stronger on air quality; San José on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Jacó vs San José for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Jacó edges it, 64 to 61, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Jacó is stronger on air quality; San José on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Jacó | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 39 | 45 | San José |
| Safety | 57 | 57 | tie |
| Healthcare | 82 | 82 | tie |
| Internet | 68 | 66 | Jacó |
| Visa ease | 92 | 92 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 59 | 54 | Jacó |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 71 | 47 | Jacó |
| Quality of life | 68 | 68 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Jacó | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,700 | $1,479 | San José |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $738 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Jacó | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 17.12 | 17.12 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87 | 87 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 78.6 yrs | 78.6 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Jacó | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 36.5 Mbps | 32.5 Mbps | Jacó |
| Upload | 10 Mbps | 10.2 Mbps | San José |

## Visa

| Metric | Jacó | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $3,000/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Jacó | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 52 | 52 | tie |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Jacó |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Jacó | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 17.9 µg/m³ | 29 µg/m³ | Jacó |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Jacó or San José?

San José is cheaper: about $1,479 per month versus $1,700 for one person.

### Is Jacó or San José safer?

Jacó scores higher on safety (57 vs 57), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Jacó or San José?

Jacó: a measured median of 36.5 Mbps versus 32.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Jacó](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/jaco) · [San José](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-jose). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/jaco-vs-san-jose