Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and the Cayman Islands

Name: Cayman Islands
Address: KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $4,833 in the Cayman Islands, rent and utilities included – about $36,100 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
231

Cost of Living Index in the Cayman Islands
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Cayman Islands Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇰🇾 Cayman Islands

$4,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in the Cayman 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 Cayman Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $4,833 in the Cayman Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
Cayman Islands $4,833

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $7,361 in the Cayman Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
Cayman Islands $7,361

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $9,889 in the Cayman Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
Cayman Islands $9,889

Cost ranges are similar: Costa Rica spans $1,004–$2,114, the Cayman Islands $3,928–$4,938. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 62% lower than in the Cayman Islands on average.

Both Costa Rica and the Cayman Islands are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, the Cayman Islands by 255%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$29.93 KYD 24.54

-62.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$113 KYD 92.9

-51.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$16.97 KYD 13.92

-35.06%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$7.24 KYD 5.94

-38.81%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$3.24 KYD 2.65

-27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$3.05 KYD 2.50

-39.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$7.18 KYD 5.89

-54.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$8.96 KYD 7.35

-49.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$4.30 KYD 3.52

-43.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$4.64 KYD 3.81

-23.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$4.98 KYD 4.09

-44.58%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$7.51 KYD 6.16

-47.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$46.91 KYD 38.47

-77.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$20.33 KYD 16.67

-50.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$20.81 KYD 17.07

-33.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$7.74 KYD 6.35

-34.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$3.65 KYD 2.99

-53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$6.94 KYD 5.69

-50.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$7.82 KYD 6.41

-58.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$4.70 KYD 3.86

-26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$3.85 KYD 3.15

-15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$3.68 KYD 3.01

-70.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$2.51 KYD 2.05

6.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$14.67 KYD 12.03

-63.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$23.59 KYD 19.35

-34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$4.30 KYD 3.53

-36.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$5.49 KYD 4.50

-39.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$2.33 KYD 1.91

-51.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$119 KYD 97.7

-44.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$19.03 KYD 15.61

-88.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

$3.83 KYD 3.14

-47.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

$44.56 KYD 36.54

-79.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.66 KYD 1.36

-3.01%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$42.6K KYD 34.9K

-19.06%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$39.7K KYD 32.6K

-5.93%

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

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$479 KYD 392

-80.16%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$119 KYD 97.2

-73.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$116 KYD 95.1

-49.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$202 KYD 166

-67.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$47.99 KYD 39.35

-53.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$18.31 KYD 15.01

-55.76%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

$1,672 KYD 1,371

-56.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$26.9K KYD 22.1K

-52.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$86.7 KYD 71.1

-12.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$78.7 KYD 64.5

-28.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$134 KYD 110

-4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$148 KYD 121

-26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$3,027 KYD 2,482

-68.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$2,339 KYD 1,918

-69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$5,796 KYD 4,753

-69.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$4,597 KYD 3,770

-73.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$13.0K KYD 10.6K

-79.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$7,650 KYD 6,273

-75.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$7,620 KYD 6,248

-86.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

7.2

32.78%

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 Cayman Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Cayman Islands

$2.3K 48.4% 230% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Cayman Islands

$718 14.9% 88.9% $338

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Cayman Islands

$456 9.4% 109% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Cayman Islands

$713 14.8% 286% $528

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Cayman Islands

$201 4.2% 21.5% $36

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Cayman Islands

$167 3.5% 102% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Cayman Islands

$239 4.9% 191% $157

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $3,562 in the Cayman Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $2,881 in George Town.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $7,780 in the Cayman Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 317% higher in the Cayman Islands.

Dining out costs 109% more in the Cayman Islands.

Public transport is 76% more expensive in the Cayman Islands.

Salaries are about 7.2 times higher in the Cayman Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cayman Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇰🇾 Cayman Islands

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

22:29 10:29 PM

1 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

65,483

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Cayman Islands Dollar KYD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 KYD = 1.22 USD

1 KYD = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KYD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Cayman Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.82 KYD (1 KYD = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.913 KYD (1 KYD = 1.1 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Cayman Islands 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Cayman 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 Cayman Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 62% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the Cayman Islands: a central one-bedroom averages $3,562 versus $855 in Costa Rica.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Costa Rica – part of why living there is about 62% cheaper overall.

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.