Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and the Bahamas

Name: Bahamas
Address: BS

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $3,377 in the Bahamas, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
161

Cost of Living Index in the Bahamas
Learn more

Bahamas Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$3,377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in the Bahamas

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 the Bahamas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Costa Rica versus $3,377 in the Bahamas.

Costa Rica $1,821
Bahamas $3,377

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,773 in Costa Rica versus $5,923 in the Bahamas.

Costa Rica $2,773
Bahamas $5,923

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,725 in Costa Rica versus $8,469 in the Bahamas.

Costa Rica $3,725
Bahamas $8,469

Internal cost variation is higher in the Bahamas: monthly costs span $27 to $4,294, compared to $1,004–$2,114 in Costa Rica. City choice carries more weight in the Bahamas.

Living in Costa Rica costs about 46% less than in the Bahamas on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Costa Rica 34% above, the Bahamas 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,082

$49.01 BSD 49.01

-77.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$162 BSD 162

-66.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,973

$11.84 BSD 11.84

-6.93%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,998

$5.46 BSD 5.46

-18.86%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$3.16 BSD 3.16

-25.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡828

$1.98 BSD 1.98

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,472

$4.89 BSD 4.89

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,053

$8.14 BSD 8.14

-44.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$4.09 BSD 4.09

-40.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$5.38 BSD 5.38

-33.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$6.18 BSD 6.18

-55.34%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,793

$8.58 BSD 8.58

-53.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,726

$12.69 BSD 12.69

-17.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,505

$12.59 BSD 12.59

-20.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,275

$17.12 BSD 17.12

-18.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,282

$7.20 BSD 7.20

-29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡763

$3.83 BSD 3.83

-55.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,557

$6.62 BSD 6.62

-47.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,459

$9.96 BSD 9.96

-67.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,554

$3.13 BSD 3.13

9.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$3.66 BSD 3.66

-11.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$4.42 BSD 4.42

-75.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,203

$2.77 BSD 2.77

-3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,426

$14.92 BSD 14.92

-63.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,993

$28.55 BSD 28.55

-45.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$4.62 BSD 4.62

-40.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,488

$4.11 BSD 4.11

-19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$2.13 BSD 2.13

-46.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$152 BSD 152

-56.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$7.79 BSD 7.79

-72.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡912

$2.97 BSD 2.97

-31.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,034

$76.0 BSD 76.0

-88.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.52 BSD 1.52

5.92%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$38.2K BSD 38.2K

-9.67%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$41.5K BSD 41.5K

-9.93%

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

$94.9 ₡42.8K

$315 BSD 315

-69.83%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$63.1 BSD 63.1

-50.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$101 BSD 101

-42.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.6K

$113 BSD 113

-41.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$46.06 BSD 46.06

-51.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,654

$18.95 BSD 18.95

-57.26%

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

$722 ₡325.8K

$942 BSD 942

-23.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$15.4K BSD 15.4K

-16.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$54.0 BSD 54.0

39.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$84.2 BSD 84.2

-33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$113 BSD 113

13.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$108 BSD 108

0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.2K

$1,089 BSD 1,089

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.5K

$1,251 BSD 1,251

-43.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.0K

$3,554 BSD 3,554

-50.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.3K

$3,509 BSD 3,509

-65.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$6,035 BSD 6,035

-56.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡829.7K

$3,429 BSD 3,429

-46.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.6K

$2,474 BSD 2,474

-57.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

11.82

-19.12%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for the Bahamas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Bahamas

$1.3K 37% 76.6% $543

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Bahamas

$597 17.7% 57.2% $217

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Bahamas

$554 16.4% 154% $336

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Bahamas

$479 14.2% 159% $294

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Bahamas

$162 4.8% 2.4% $3.9

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Bahamas

$183 5.4% 122% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Bahamas

$151 4.5% 84.5% $69

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $855 in Costa Rica, $1,140 in the Bahamas. Capital cities: $1,164 in San Jose vs $1,495 in Nassau.

National salary averages: $1,087 in Costa Rica, $2,211 in the Bahamas. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 33% higher in the Bahamas.

Dining out costs 180% more in the Bahamas.

Public transport is 122% more expensive in the Bahamas.

Salaries are about 2 times higher in the Bahamas.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇧🇸 Bahamas

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

04:05 4:05 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

399,440

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, 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).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 BSD (1 BSD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Bahamas 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Bahamas

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 Bahamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $3,377 per month in the Bahamas and $1,821 in Costa Rica, there’s a 85% 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 cheaper in Costa Rica: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,140 in the Bahamas 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; the Bahamas may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.