Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and the British Virgin Islands

Name: British Virgin Islands
Address: VG

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $2,897 in the British Virgin Islands, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
139

Cost of Living Index in the British Virgin Islands
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British Virgin Islands Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in the British Virgin Islands

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 British Virgin Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,897 in the British Virgin Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
British Virgin Islands $2,897

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $4,880 in the British Virgin Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
British Virgin Islands $4,880

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $6,863 in the British Virgin Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
British Virgin Islands $6,863

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114) than in the British Virgin Islands ($2,425–$2,572), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 37% lower than in the British Virgin Islands on average.

Both Costa Rica and the British Virgin Islands are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, the British Virgin Islands by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,082

$19.66 $19.66

-42.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$80.8 $80.8

-32.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,973

$11.65 $11.65

-5.41%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,998

$6.74 $6.74

-34.27%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$1.80 $1.80

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡828

$0.96 $0.96

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,472

$4.05 $4.05

-19.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,053

$4.96 $4.96

-8.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$2.22 $2.22

10.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$4.46 $4.46

-20.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$4.36 $4.36

-36.70%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,793

$6.18 $6.18

-35.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,726

$13.01 $13.01

-19.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,505

$12.91 $12.91

-22.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,275

$20.03 $20.03

-30.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,282

$3.09 $3.09

63.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡763

$3.44 $3.44

-50.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,557

$1.96 $1.96

76.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,459

$7.03 $7.03

-54.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,554

$6.00 $6.00

-42.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$4.58 $4.58

-29.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$8.90 $8.90

-87.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,203

$1.91 $1.91

39.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,426

$5.12 $5.12

5.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,993

$11.04 $11.04

40.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$3.91 $3.91

-29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,488

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$4.55 $4.55

-75.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡912

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,034

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.23 $1.23

30.89%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

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

$94.9 ₡42.8K

$161 $161

-40.97%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$93.3 $93.3

-66.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$115 $115

-48.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.6K

$120 $120

-45.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$19.92 $19.92

11.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,654

$9.81 $9.81

-17.43%

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

$722 ₡325.8K

$369 $369

95.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$15.4K $15.4K

-16.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$47.53 $47.53

58.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$55.9 $55.9

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$131 $131

-1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$138 $138

-21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.2K

$1,364 $1,364

-29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.5K

$1,409 $1,409

-49.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.0K

$3,787 $3,787

-53.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.3K

$3,538 $3,538

-65.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡829.7K

$10.8K $10.8K

-82.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.6K

$1,639 $1,639

-35.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

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 British Virgin Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

British Virgin Islands

$1.4K 48.7% 99.1% $701

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

British Virgin Islands

$479 * 16.5% 26% $99

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

British Virgin Islands

$314 10.9% 43.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

British Virgin Islands

$369 12.7% 99.5% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

British Virgin Islands

$168 5.8% 1.1% $1.8

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

British Virgin Islands

$18 * 0.6% 77.9% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

British Virgin Islands

$140 4.8% 70.9% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $1,345 in the British Virgin Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $1,640 in Road Town.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $1,625 in the British Virgin Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in the British Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 52% more in the British Virgin Islands.

Salaries are 49% higher in the British Virgin Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

39,369

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica British Virgin Islands 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
British Virgin Islands

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 British Virgin Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 37% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the British Virgin Islands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,345 versus $855 in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.