Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Bonaire

Name: Bonaire
Address: BQ

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,779 a month against $2,448 in Bonaire, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bonaire outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Bonaire
Learn more

Bonaire Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

🇧🇶 Bonaire

$2,448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,448 in Bonaire, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,779
Bonaire $2,448

A couple spends around $2,745 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,656 in Bonaire, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,745
Bonaire $3,656

A family of three spends $3,711 per month in Costa Rica vs $4,864 in Bonaire, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,711
Bonaire $4,864

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,127) than in Bonaire ($2,441–$2,441), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 27% lower than in Bonaire on average.

Both Costa Rica and Bonaire are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 32%, Bonaire by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 ₡5,278

$22.89 $22.89

-48.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$99.0 $99.0

-44.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,880

$18.17 $18.17

-40.12%

Cappuccino

$4.50 ₡2,018

$2.93 $2.93

53.58%

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

$2.37 ₡1,063

$3.61 $3.61

-34.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡858

$2.05 $2.05

-6.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,457

$7.59 $7.59

-57.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,974

$7.01 $7.01

-37.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,098

$1.93 $1.93

26.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₡1,599

$2.29 $2.29

55.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 ₡1,235

Eggs

$4.03 ₡1,806

$6.32 $6.32

-36.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,504

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,665

$8.77 $8.77

18.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ₡6,140

$22.10 $22.10

-38.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,313

$3.47 $3.47

48.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡760

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$3.57 $3.57

0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,519

$9.95 $9.95

-65.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,506

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,427

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.91 $3.91

-71.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,415

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 ₡7,197

$15.12 $15.12

6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,214

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,480

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡507

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 ₡29.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 ₡1,021

$10.16 $10.16

-77.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ₡895

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₡4,074

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.63 $1.63

-5.52%

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

$32.5K ₡14.6M

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$565 $565

-83.07%

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

$30.83 ₡13.8K

$44.96 $44.96

-31.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$121 $121

-51.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ₡29.4K

$99.4 $99.4

-34.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 ₡9,948

$30.03 $30.03

-26.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₡3,701

$13.87 $13.87

-40.52%

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

$743 ₡333.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ₡33.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$74.4 $74.4

-24.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₡49.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ₡376.9K

$1,076 $1,076

-21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ₡293.9K

$894 $894

-26.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 ₡784.7K

$1,969 $1,969

-11.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₡527.9K

$1,788 $1,788

-34.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₡1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,071 ₡480.5K

$1,696 $1,696

-36.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

19.50%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bonaire: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$655 36.9%

Bonaire

$894 36.5% 36.4% $238

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$383 21.5%

Bonaire

$305 * 12.5% 20.4% $78

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$223 12.5%

Bonaire

$347 14.2% 55.8% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.4%

Bonaire

$731 29.9% 296% $546

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$168 9.4%

Bonaire

$33 * 1.4% 80% $134

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$83 4.6%

Bonaire

$10 * 0.4% 87.7% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.6%

Bonaire

$127 5.2% 55% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Costa Rica vs $1,048 in Bonaire. For reference, capital cities sit at $927 in San Jose and $1,048 in Kralendijk.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $1,660 in Bonaire. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 26% higher in Bonaire.

Dining out costs 83% more in Bonaire.

Salaries are 52% higher in Bonaire.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇧🇶 Bonaire

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

00:20 12:20 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

29,418

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Bonaire 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Bonaire

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 Bonaire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 38% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Bonaire: a central one-bedroom averages $1,048 versus $830 in Costa Rica.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Bonaire 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.