Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago, Costa Rica and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,645 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $39,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,645

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartago and in New York, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,645 in Cartago versus $4,906 in New York, NY.

Cartago $1,645
New York, NY $4,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Cartago versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Cartago $2,325
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,006 in Cartago versus $9,641 in New York, NY.

Cartago $3,006
New York, NY $9,641

Living in Cartago costs roughly 66% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 22% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.91 ₡4,006

$26.93 $26.93

-66.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.81 ₡15.7K

$117 $117

-70.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 ₡4,374

$14.60 $14.60

-33.36%

Cappuccino

$4.42 ₡1,985

$6.54 $6.54

-32.42%

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

$2.15 ₡966

$3.86 $3.86

-44.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡613

$2.95 $2.95

-53.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ₡960

$8.08 $8.08

-73.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 ₡1,903

$9.85 $9.85

-57.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,070

$1.31 $1.31

81.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 ₡1,111

$4.97 $4.97

-50.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,089

$7.70 $7.70

-68.57%

Eggs

$3.58 ₡1,610

$6.09 $6.09

-41.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 ₡3,850

$19.55 $19.55

-56.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₡4,778

$17.59 $17.59

-39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 ₡6,345

$20.26 $20.26

-30.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 ₡2,375

$6.99 $6.99

-24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ₡578

$2.21 $2.21

-42.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 ₡1,941

$6.72 $6.72

-35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 ₡1,348

$7.12 $7.12

-57.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₡999

$4.61 $4.61

-51.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡977

$4.78 $4.78

-54.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡489

$2.87 $2.87

-62.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₡1,010

$2.69 $2.69

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,699

$19.14 $19.14

-68.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 ₡6,863

$19.63 $19.63

-22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,267

$3.32 $3.32

-15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₡886

$4.19 $4.19

-52.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ₡604

$3.02 $3.02

-55.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 ₡33.4K

$139 $139

-46.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₡604

$3.04 $3.04

-55.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡722

$2.20 $2.20

-26.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 ₡3,865

$41.33 $41.33

-79.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.13 $1.13

38.94%

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

$34.0K ₡15.3M

$34.5K $34.5K

-1.39%

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

$42.1K ₡18.9M

$25.8K $25.8K

63.02%

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

$52.5 ₡23.6K

$232 $232

-77.40%

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

$36.19 ₡16.3K

$71.0 $71.0

-49.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.8K

$67.7 $67.7

-11.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 ₡30.9K

$115 $115

-40.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$78.4 ₡35.2K

$76.8 $76.8

2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 ₡3,164

$22.41 $22.41

-68.59%

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

$560 ₡251.7K

$3,606 $3,606

-84.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,838 ₡3.5M

$68.7K $68.7K

-88.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ₡31.9K

$79.3 $79.3

-10.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$51.4 $51.4

9.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.6K

$121 $121

0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ₡39.6K

$140 $140

-37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡355.0K

$4,555 $4,555

-82.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 ₡285.6K

$3,040 $3,040

-79.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 ₡865.5K

$9,742 $9,742

-80.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 ₡321.4K

$5,331 $5,331

-86.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,350 ₡607.0K

$5,096 $5,096

-73.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.89

25.11%

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

Last update for Cartago: November 2, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$635 38.6%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 379% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$351 21.3%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 61.7% $216

Eating Out

Cartago

$187 11.4%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 128% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$152 9.2%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 16.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$148 9%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 150% $223

Getting Around

Cartago

$89 5.4%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 85.8% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$83 5%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 93.4% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Cartago and $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Cartago vs $117 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $567 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

17:41 5:41 PM

18:41 6:41 PM

1 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartago New York, NY 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
New York, NY

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

Cartago vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is about 66% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Cartago. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $790 in Cartago versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cartago runs roughly 47% less than in New York, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $560 in Cartago versus $3,606 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,645 in Cartago versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.