Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,779 a month against $2,288 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Canada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
Learn more

Canada Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in Costa Rica

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

A single person spends $2,288 per month in Canada vs $1,779 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Canada $2,288
Costa Rica $1,779

A couple spends around $3,318 per month in Canada vs $2,745 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Canada $3,318
Costa Rica $2,745

A family of three spends $4,348 per month in Canada vs $3,711 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Canada $4,348
Costa Rica $3,711

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($878–$3,623) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,127), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 29% higher than in Costa Rica on average.

Both Canada and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Canada by 69%, Costa Rica by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 CA$24.66

$11.77 ₡5,278

48.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 CA$97.3

$55.1 ₡24.7K

24.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 CA$15.13

$10.88 ₡4,880

-1.65%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$4.50 ₡2,018

-14.89%

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

$2.03 CA$2.87

$2.37 ₡1,063

-14.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$1.91 ₡858

-14.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 CA$7.68

$3.25 ₡1,457

67.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.12

$4.40 ₡1,974

30.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.03

$2.45 ₡1,098

-12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.57 ₡1,599

-26.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.89

$2.75 ₡1,235

25.82%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.00

$4.03 ₡1,806

-12.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 CA$15.12

$10.04 ₡4,504

6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.77

$10.40 ₡4,665

14.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 CA$20.98

$13.69 ₡6,140

8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.71

$5.16 ₡2,313

-21.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.69 ₡760

-18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.26

$3.60 ₡1,613

3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.65

$3.39 ₡1,519

17.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$3.36 ₡1,506

-21.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$3.18 ₡1,427

-25.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$1.12 ₡504

124.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.47

$2.66 ₡1,195

-34.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.07 CA$19.90

$5.38 ₡2,415

161.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CA$18.83

$16.05 ₡7,197

-17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.71 ₡1,214

5.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$3.30 ₡1,480

-4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$1.13 ₡507

121.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.5 CA$101

$65.8 ₡29.5K

8.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 CA$4.38

$2.28 ₡1,021

35.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$2.00 ₡895

-28.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$9.08 ₡4,074

188.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.54 ₡689

-23.38%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$32.5K ₡14.6M

-13.76%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$36.6K ₡16.4M

-48.52%

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

$148 CA$210

$95.7 ₡42.9K

55.09%

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

$42.44 CA$60.0

$30.83 ₡13.8K

37.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$58.4 ₡26.2K

0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.65 CA$57.5

$65.6 ₡29.4K

-38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.99 CA$26.84

$22.18 ₡9,948

-14.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.25 CA$15.90

$8.25 ₡3,701

36.36%

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

$753 CA$1,064

$743 ₡333.3K

1.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K CA$20.2K

$12.7K ₡5.7M

12.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 CA$74.2

$75.1 ₡33.7K

-30.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 CA$54.0

$56.5 ₡25.3K

-32.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 CA$124

$131 ₡59.0K

-33.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$110 ₡49.2K

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 CA$1,747

$841 ₡376.9K

47.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 CA$1,583

$655 ₡293.9K

70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 CA$2,822

$1,750 ₡784.7K

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 CA$2,423

$1,177 ₡527.9K

45.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,503 CA$6,365

$2,434 ₡1.1M

84.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,888 CA$5,497

$1,640 ₡735.7K

137.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,921 CA$4,129

$1,071 ₡480.5K

172.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

9.56

-49.06%

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

Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

Costa Rica

$655 36.9% 41.5% $465

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$366 16%

Costa Rica

$383 21.5% 4.6% $17

Eating Out

Canada

$271 11.9%

Costa Rica

$223 12.5% 17.7% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.9%

Costa Rica

$185 10.4% 25.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

Costa Rica

$168 9.4% 32.4% $41

Getting Around

Canada

$92 4%

Costa Rica

$83 4.6% 10% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$63 2.8%

Costa Rica

$82 4.6% 30% $19

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,199 in Canada vs $830 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,473 in Ottawa and $927 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,892 in Canada vs $1,089 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 44% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 17% more in Canada.

Public transport is 287% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 166% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

2 h behind Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

5,044,197

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada Costa Rica 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
Costa Rica

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

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

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 29% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,199 versus $830 in Costa Rica.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.