Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,779 a month against $2,288 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Canada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
Learn more

Canada Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,288 in Canada, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,779
Canada $2,288

A couple spends around $2,745 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,318 in Canada, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,745
Canada $3,318

A family of three spends $3,711 per month in Costa Rica vs $4,348 in Canada, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,711
Canada $4,348

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($878–$3,623) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,127), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 22% lower than in Canada on average.

Both Costa Rica and Canada are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 32%, Canada by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 ₡5,278

$17.44 CA$24.66

-32.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$68.8 CA$97.3

-19.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,880

$10.70 CA$15.13

1.68%

Cappuccino

$4.50 ₡2,018

$3.83 CA$5.42

17.49%

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

$2.37 ₡1,063

$2.03 CA$2.87

16.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡858

$1.64 CA$2.32

16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,457

$5.43 CA$7.68

-40.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,974

$5.74 CA$8.12

-23.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,098

$2.14 CA$3.03

14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₡1,599

$2.64 CA$3.73

35.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 ₡1,235

$3.46 CA$4.89

-20.52%

Eggs

$4.03 ₡1,806

$3.53 CA$5.00

14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,504

$10.70 CA$15.12

-6.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,665

$11.86 CA$16.77

-12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ₡6,140

$14.84 CA$20.98

-7.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,313

$4.04 CA$5.71

27.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡760

$1.37 CA$1.94

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$3.72 CA$5.26

-3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,519

$3.99 CA$5.65

-15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,506

$2.63 CA$3.72

27.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,427

$2.38 CA$3.36

33.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.51 CA$3.55

-55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.75 CA$2.47

52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,415

$14.07 CA$19.90

-61.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 ₡7,197

$13.32 CA$18.83

20.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,214

$2.86 CA$4.05

-5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,480

$3.16 CA$4.47

4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.50 CA$3.53

-54.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 ₡29.5K

$71.5 CA$101

-7.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 ₡1,021

$3.09 CA$4.38

-26.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ₡895

$1.43 CA$2.03

39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₡4,074

$26.16 CA$36.98

-65.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.18 CA$1.67

30.51%

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

$32.5K ₡14.6M

$28.0K CA$39.6K

15.95%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$18.8K CA$26.6K

94.24%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$148 CA$210

-35.52%

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

$30.83 ₡13.8K

$42.44 CA$60.0

-27.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$58.5 CA$82.7

-0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ₡29.4K

$40.65 CA$57.5

61.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 ₡9,948

$18.99 CA$26.84

16.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₡3,701

$11.25 CA$15.90

-26.67%

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

$743 ₡333.3K

$753 CA$1,064

-1.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.7M

$14.3K CA$20.2K

-11.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ₡33.7K

$52.5 CA$74.2

43.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$38.23 CA$54.0

47.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$87.8 CA$124

49.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₡49.2K

$103 CA$146

6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ₡376.9K

$1,236 CA$1,747

-31.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ₡293.9K

$1,120 CA$1,583

-41.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 ₡784.7K

$1,996 CA$2,822

-12.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₡527.9K

$1,714 CA$2,423

-31.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₡1.1M

$4,503 CA$6,365

-45.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.7K

$3,888 CA$5,497

-57.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,071 ₡480.5K

$2,921 CA$4,129

-63.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

4.87

96.30%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$655 36.9%

Canada

$1.1K 48.9% 70.9% $465

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$383 21.5%

Canada

$366 16% 4.4% $17

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$223 12.5%

Canada

$271 11.9% 21.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.4%

Canada

$249 10.9% 34.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$168 9.4%

Canada

$127 5.5% 24.5% $41

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$83 4.6%

Canada

$92 4% 11.1% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.6%

Canada

$63 2.8% 23.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Costa Rica vs $1,199 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $927 in San Jose and $1,473 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $2,892 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 44% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 17% more in Canada.

Public transport is 287% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 166% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

22:27 10:27 PM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

36,991,981

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Canada 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Canada

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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 29% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,199 versus $830 in Costa Rica.

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