Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $915 a month against $1,779 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

🇧🇷 Brazil

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Costa Rica vs $915 in Brazil, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,779
Brazil $915

A couple spends around $2,745 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,462 in Brazil, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,745
Brazil $1,462

A family of three spends $3,711 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,009 in Brazil, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,711
Brazil $2,009

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,127) than in Brazil ($611–$1,451), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 94% higher than in Brazil on average.

Costa Rica sits 32% above the global median, while Brazil is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 ₡5,278

$6.73 R$34.09

74.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$34.26 R$174

60.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,880

$7.98 R$40.47

36.34%

Cappuccino

$4.50 ₡2,018

$2.16 R$10.97

108.33%

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

$2.37 ₡1,063

$1.30 R$6.61

82.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡858

$0.75 R$3.80

154.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,457

$1.96 R$9.95

65.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,974

$3.06 R$15.52

43.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,098

$1.09 R$5.54

124.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₡1,599

$1.69 R$8.54

111.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 ₡1,235

$1.28 R$6.50

114.84%

Eggs

$4.03 ₡1,806

$2.28 R$11.54

76.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,504

$9.90 R$50.2

1.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,665

$4.38 R$22.21

137.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ₡6,140

$8.64 R$43.78

58.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,313

$2.38 R$12.04

116.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡760

$1.37 R$6.95

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$1.29 R$6.54

179.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,519

$1.65 R$8.37

105.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,506

$1.19 R$6.04

182.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,427

$1.14 R$5.78

178.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.82 R$4.15

36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$0.77 R$3.91

245.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,415

$2.43 R$12.31

121.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 ₡7,197

$8.06 R$40.84

99.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,214

$1.38 R$7.00

96.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,480

$2.33 R$11.80

41.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.99 R$5.03

14.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 ₡29.5K

$47.39 R$240

38.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 ₡1,021

$1.34 R$6.78

70.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ₡895

$0.99 R$5.00

102.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₡4,074

$7.82 R$39.66

16.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.30 R$6.60

18.46%

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

$32.5K ₡14.6M

$23.6K R$119.6K

37.68%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$33.5K R$169.9K

9.22%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$84.8 R$430

12.92%

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

$30.83 ₡13.8K

$12.97 R$65.8

137.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$21.05 R$107

177.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ₡29.4K

$26.33 R$133

149.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 ₡9,948

$27.36 R$139

-18.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₡3,701

$7.27 R$36.87

13.48%

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

$743 ₡333.3K

$342 R$1,732

117.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.7M

$9,086 R$46.1K

39.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ₡33.7K

$54.5 R$276

37.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$50.1 R$254

12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$90.0 R$456

46.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₡49.2K

$72.2 R$366

51.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ₡376.9K

$383 R$1,939

119.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ₡293.9K

$250 R$1,269

161.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 ₡784.7K

$742 R$3,761

135.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₡527.9K

$501 R$2,540

134.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₡1.1M

$1,935 R$9,811

25.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.7K

$1,294 R$6,558

26.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,071 ₡480.5K

$537 R$2,722

99.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

11.17

-14.41%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$655 36.9%

Brazil

$250 27.4% 61.8% $405

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$383 21.5%

Brazil

$199 21.8% 48% $184

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$223 12.5%

Brazil

$128 14% 42.7% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.4%

Brazil

$119 13% 35.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$168 9.4%

Brazil

$120 13.1% 28.4% $48

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$83 4.6%

Brazil

$58 6.3% 30.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.6%

Brazil

$41 4.5% 50.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Costa Rica vs $353 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $927 in San Jose and $507 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $503 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 135% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 74% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 173% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 117% higher in Costa Rica.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇧🇷 Brazil

🕒 Local time

23:42 11:42 PM

02:42 2:42 AM

3 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

203,062,512

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, 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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica Brazil 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Brazil

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 Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 94% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $830 versus $353 in Brazil.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brazil 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.