Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,934 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Escazu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brisbane and in Escazu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $1,934 in Escazu, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Escazu $1,934

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $2,959 in Escazu, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Escazu $2,959

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $3,984 in Escazu, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Escazu $3,984

Brisbane costs about 37% more than Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Escazu sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Escazu by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.39

$12.06 ₡5,423

47.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$61.8 ₡27.8K

38.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.08

$11.76 ₡5,287

-4.08%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.34

$4.49 ₡2,020

-0.89%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.66 ₡1,195

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.49

$1.91 ₡860

28.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.26

$3.35 ₡1,504

156.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.92

$4.34 ₡1,952

92.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$2.45 ₡1,100

-28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$3.09 ₡1,389

-16.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.11

$2.50 ₡1,124

-12.80%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.05

$3.45 ₡1,550

43.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.65

$10.68 ₡4,803

-10.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.85

$10.28 ₡4,621

-12.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.96

$14.14 ₡6,358

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.00

$5.16 ₡2,322

-18.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.53

$1.57 ₡704

102.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.98

$3.23 ₡1,452

-13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.88

$3.00 ₡1,350

61.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.79 ₡1,702

-26.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$3.73 ₡1,675

-36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.36

$0.99 ₡446

138.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.68 ₡754

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.7

$5.48 ₡2,462

613.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.30

$18.92 ₡8,505

-32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.52

$1.68 ₡754

213.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.00

$2.77 ₡1,245

77.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.51

$1.05 ₡471

-65.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.49

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.71

$2.05 ₡922

27.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.86 ₡834

1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.4

$8.09 ₡3,636

415.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.48 ₡664

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

$29.0K A$41.3K

$28.0K ₡12.6M

3.77%

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

$25.9K A$36.9K

$36.6K ₡16.4M

-29.15%

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

$160 A$228

$94.5 ₡42.5K

68.99%

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

$26.65 A$38.00

$29.94 ₡13.5K

-10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.3

$58.6 ₡26.3K

4.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.1

$105 ₡47.3K

-41.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.30

$9.81 ₡4,411

130.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.17

$7.66 ₡3,445

84.73%

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

$1,982 A$2,825

$458 ₡206.0K

332.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$17.2K ₡7.7M

56.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$71.8 ₡32.3K

18.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.1

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-15.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$128 ₡57.3K

-12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$133 ₡59.6K

-17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,790

$866 ₡389.1K

126.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,055

$848 ₡381.2K

69.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,962

$1,929 ₡867.0K

80.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,184

$1,501 ₡674.7K

48.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.6K

$1,404 ₡630.9K

581.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,891

$969 ₡435.8K

615.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,894

$1,792 ₡805.4K

130.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

8.62

-32.25%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Escazu

$848 43.9% 41.2% $593

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Escazu

$363 18.8% 0.3% $1.3

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Escazu

$229 11.9% 26.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Escazu

$183 9.5% 26.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Escazu

$174 9% 9.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Escazu

$121 6.2% 35% $31

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Escazu

$16 * 0.8% 55.4% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $866 in Escazu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brisbane are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $62 in Escazu. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $363 in Escazu – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

06:16 6:16 AM

16 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

11,984

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.626 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.626 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Escazu 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Escazu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Brisbane vs Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 37% more than Escazu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $2,900 in Escazu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Escazu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $866 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $1,934 in Escazu. That makes Escazu about 27% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane and $62 in Escazu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Escazu, where all-in costs run around $1,934, than in Brisbane at $2,644. In Escazu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Escazu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Escazu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.