Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Antigua and Barbuda

Name: Antigua and Barbuda
Address: AG

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $2,587 in Antigua and Barbuda, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Antigua and Barbuda
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Antigua and Barbuda Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$2,587

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in Antigua and Barbuda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Costa Rica versus $2,587 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Costa Rica $1,821
Antigua and Barbuda $2,587

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,773 in Costa Rica versus $3,477 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Costa Rica $2,773
Antigua and Barbuda $3,477

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,725 in Costa Rica versus $4,367 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Costa Rica $3,725
Antigua and Barbuda $4,367

Internal cost variation is higher in Antigua and Barbuda: monthly costs span $678 to $2,366, compared to $1,004–$2,114 in Costa Rica. City choice carries more weight in Antigua and Barbuda.

Living in Costa Rica costs about 30% less than in Antigua and Barbuda on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Costa Rica 34% above, Antigua and Barbuda 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,082

$10.88 EC$29.37

3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$72.7 EC$196

-25.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,973

$8.32 EC$22.46

32.45%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,998

$4.31 EC$11.64

2.78%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$1.96 EC$5.30

19.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡828

$1.07 EC$2.89

71.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,472

$2.89 EC$7.80

12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,053

$4.47 EC$12.08

1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$2.57 EC$6.93

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$2.76 EC$7.46

28.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$4.06 EC$10.95

-32.02%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,793

$7.41 EC$20.00

-46.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,726

$10.17 EC$27.47

2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,505

$8.68 EC$23.45

14.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,275

$22.95 EC$62.0

-39.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,282

$6.83 EC$18.44

-25.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡763

$3.99 EC$10.78

-57.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,557

$11.37 EC$30.69

-69.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,459

$6.52 EC$17.60

-50.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,554

$3.68 EC$9.93

-6.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$2.42 EC$6.52

34.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$3.81 EC$10.28

-71.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,203

$1.62 EC$4.39

64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,426

$7.22 EC$19.49

-25.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,993

$9.26 EC$25.01

67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.26 EC$6.09

21.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,488

$2.99 EC$8.06

10.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.09 EC$2.95

3.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$7.32 EC$19.76

-70.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡912

$5.40 EC$14.57

-62.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,034

$19.67 EC$53.1

-54.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.49 EC$4.01

8.05%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$28.8K EC$77.8K

19.75%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$35.9K EC$96.8K

4.20%

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

$94.9 ₡42.8K

$293 EC$791

-67.60%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$39.04 EC$105

-19.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$84.3 EC$228

-30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.6K

$68.4 EC$185

-3.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$55.8 EC$151

-60.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,654

$6.71 EC$18.11

20.72%

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

$722 ₡325.8K

$188 EC$507

284.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$2,448 EC$6,609

427.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$39.06 EC$105

93.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$63.5 EC$172

101.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$146 EC$394

-25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.2K

$1,837 EC$4,960

-47.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.5K

$1,274 EC$3,441

-44.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.0K

$2,473 EC$6,678

-29.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.3K

$1,496 EC$4,040

-18.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$11.8K EC$31.9K

-77.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡829.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.6K

$1,683 EC$4,543

-37.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

5.75

66.26%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for Antigua and Barbuda: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Antigua and Barbuda

$1.3K 49.3% 80% $566

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Antigua and Barbuda

$465 18% 22.2% $84

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Antigua and Barbuda

$199 7.7% 8.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Antigua and Barbuda

$416 16.1% 125% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Antigua and Barbuda

$112 * 4.3% 32.5% $54

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Antigua and Barbuda

$39 * 1.5% 53% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Antigua and Barbuda

$82 3.2% 0.1% $0.1

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $855 in Costa Rica, $2,052 in Antigua and Barbuda. Capital cities: $1,164 in San Jose vs $1,052 in Saint John’s.

National salary averages: $1,087 in Costa Rica, $1,372 in Antigua and Barbuda. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 140% higher in Antigua and Barbuda.

Dining out costs 20% more in Antigua and Barbuda.

Salaries are 26% higher in Antigua and Barbuda.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

05:42 5:42 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

101,489

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.333 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.333 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Antigua and Barbuda 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Antigua and Barbuda

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

Costa Rica vs Antigua and Barbuda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,587 per month in Antigua and Barbuda and $1,821 in Costa Rica, there’s a 42% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $2,052 in Antigua and Barbuda and $855 in Costa Rica. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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