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

Name: Bahamas
Address: BS

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Costa Rica is roughly 154% more expensive than in Bahamas on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 ₡4,874

$48.16 BSD 48.16

-77.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$167 BSD 167

-66.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 ₡4,839

$12.03 BSD 12.03

-10.14%

Cappuccino

$4.52 ₡2,021

$5.21 BSD 5.21

-13.24%

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

$2.45 ₡1,095

$3.13 BSD 3.13

-21.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₡844

$1.91 BSD 1.91

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,476

$5.14 BSD 5.14

-35.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ₡2,064

$8.23 BSD 8.23

-43.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$4.48 BSD 4.48

-45.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$5.22 BSD 5.22

-31.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 ₡1,207

$5.95 BSD 5.95

-54.62%

Eggs

$4.01 ₡1,796

$8.31 BSD 8.31

-51.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ₡4,568

$11.28 BSD 11.28

-9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,647

$13.35 BSD 13.35

-22.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 ₡6,190

$17.79 BSD 17.79

-22.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 ₡2,272

$5.74 BSD 5.74

-11.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₡782

$3.78 BSD 3.78

-53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 ₡1,575

$5.18 BSD 5.18

-32.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,446

$9.14 BSD 9.14

-64.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 ₡1,496

$3.13 BSD 3.13

6.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,422

$3.79 BSD 3.79

-16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$4.33 BSD 4.33

-75.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,200

$2.76 BSD 2.76

-2.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,495

$15.23 BSD 15.23

-63.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 ₡6,817

$29.52 BSD 29.52

-48.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,196

$4.62 BSD 4.62

-42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₡1,490

$3.93 BSD 3.93

-15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡486

$2.45 BSD 2.45

-55.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 ₡29.3K

$150 BSD 150

-56.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₡983

$8.18 BSD 8.18

-73.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡870

$2.97 BSD 2.97

-34.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₡3,969

$50.2 BSD 50.2

-82.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 ₡718

$1.46 BSD 1.46

9.59%

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

$32.7K ₡14.6M

$30.5K BSD 30.5K

7.19%

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

$36.3K ₡16.3M

$43.8K BSD 43.8K

-17.10%

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

$95.2 ₡42.6K

$330 BSD 330

-71.12%

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

$31.50 ₡14.1K

$65.5 BSD 65.5

-51.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.7K

$105 BSD 105

-43.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 ₡29.7K

$114 BSD 114

-41.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.60 ₡10.6K

$41.97 BSD 41.97

-43.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 ₡3,676

$20.18 BSD 20.18

-59.32%

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

$726 ₡324.9K

$985 BSD 985

-26.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.7M

$16.0K BSD 16.0K

-20.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.6 ₡33.4K

$60.3 BSD 60.3

23.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$84.1 BSD 84.1

-36.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡56.0K

$120 BSD 120

3.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡47.7K

$127 BSD 127

-15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 ₡395.5K

$1,287 BSD 1,287

-31.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡286.7K

$1,292 BSD 1,292

-50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 ₡779.9K

$3,471 BSD 3,471

-49.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 ₡522.7K

$3,737 BSD 3,737

-68.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,400 ₡1.1M

$4,153 BSD 4,153

-42.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,671 ₡748.0K

$3,268 BSD 3,268

-48.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 ₡484.5K

$2,620 BSD 2,620

-58.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

9.92

-3.63%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bahamas: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,106 in Costa Rica, $2,354 in Bahamas. 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

Costa Rica vs Bahamas: 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.