Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahamas and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahamas and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $654 in Bahamas versus $1,660 in Costa Rica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,138 in Bahamas versus $2,621 in Costa Rica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,622 in Bahamas versus $3,581 in Costa Rica.

Living in Bahamas costs about 61% less than in Costa Rica on average.

Bahamas (53% below) and Costa Rica (20% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$48.16 BSD 48.16

$10.89 ₡4,874

342.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$167 BSD 167

$55.8 ₡25.0K

199.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 BSD 12.03

$10.81 ₡4,839

11.29%

Cappuccino

$5.21 BSD 5.21

$4.52 ₡2,021

15.27%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 BSD 3.13

$2.45 ₡1,095

27.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 BSD 1.91

$1.89 ₡844

1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 BSD 5.14

$3.30 ₡1,476

55.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 BSD 8.23

$4.61 ₡2,064

78.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.48 BSD 4.48

$2.42 ₡1,085

85.12%

White Bread (500g)

$5.22 BSD 5.22

$3.60 ₡1,613

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.95 BSD 5.95

$2.70 ₡1,207

120.37%

Eggs

$8.31 BSD 8.31

$4.01 ₡1,796

107.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 BSD 11.28

$10.21 ₡4,568

10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.35 BSD 13.35

$10.38 ₡4,647

28.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.79 BSD 17.79

$13.83 ₡6,190

28.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.74 BSD 5.74

$5.08 ₡2,272

12.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.78 BSD 3.78

$1.75 ₡782

116.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 BSD 5.18

$3.52 ₡1,575

47.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.14 BSD 9.14

$3.23 ₡1,446

182.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 BSD 3.13

$3.34 ₡1,496

-6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 BSD 3.79

$3.18 ₡1,422

19.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.33 BSD 4.33

$1.08 ₡483

300.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 BSD 2.76

$2.68 ₡1,200

2.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.23 BSD 15.23

$5.57 ₡2,495

173.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$29.52 BSD 29.52

$15.23 ₡6,817

93.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 BSD 4.62

$2.67 ₡1,196

73.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 BSD 3.93

$3.33 ₡1,490

18.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 BSD 2.45

$1.09 ₡486

124.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 BSD 150

$65.4 ₡29.3K

129.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 BSD 8.18

$2.20 ₡983

271.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 BSD 2.97

$1.94 ₡870

53.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 BSD 50.2

$8.87 ₡3,969

465.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 BSD 1.46

$1.60 ₡718

-8.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.5K BSD 30.5K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

-6.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$43.8K BSD 43.8K

$36.3K ₡16.3M

20.62%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$330 BSD 330

$95.2 ₡42.6K

246.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$65.5 BSD 65.5

$31.50 ₡14.1K

107.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 BSD 105

$59.7 ₡26.7K

76.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 BSD 114

$66.3 ₡29.7K

71.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.97 BSD 41.97

$23.60 ₡10.6K

77.84%

Cinema Ticket

$20.18 BSD 20.18

$8.21 ₡3,676

145.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$985 BSD 985

$726 ₡324.9K

35.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K BSD 16.0K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

25.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 BSD 60.3

$74.6 ₡33.4K

-19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.1 BSD 84.1

$53.6 ₡24.0K

56.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 BSD 120

$125 ₡56.0K

-3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 BSD 127

$107 ₡47.7K

18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 BSD 1,287

$884 ₡395.5K

45.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 BSD 1,292

$641 ₡286.7K

101.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,471 BSD 3,471

$1,743 ₡779.9K

99.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 BSD 3,737

$1,168 ₡522.7K

219.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,153 BSD 4,153

$2,400 ₡1.1M

73.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,268 BSD 3,268

$1,671 ₡748.0K

95.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,620 BSD 2,620

$1,083 ₡484.5K

142.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.92

9.56

3.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bahamas: September 8, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $253 in Bahamas, $816 in Costa Rica. Capital cities: $1,490 in Nassau vs $960 in San Jose.

National salary averages: $2,354 in Bahamas, $1,106 in Costa Rica. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 223% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 112% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 113% higher in Bahamas, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Bahamas.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bahamas vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,175 per month in Bahamas and $1,575 in Costa Rica, there's a 38% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Costa Rica: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Bahamas is consistently higher than in Costa Rica across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Costa Rica, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Bahamas it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Costa Rica wins on affordability; Bahamas may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.