Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Cuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Cuba

😐 Solo nomad: Costa Rica is 17.3% more expensive than Cuba without rent, and 16.2% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Costa Rica is 46.3% more expensive than Cuba without rent, and 50.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.67 ₡4,599
$6.17 CUP 148
56.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.6 ₡27.9K
$25.31 CUP 608
131.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.23 ₡4,868
$7.00 CUP 168
46.14%
Cappuccino
$3.97 ₡1,890
$1.63 CUP 39.04
143.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₡1,032
$1.91 CUP 45.84
13.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₡823
$1.18 CUP 28.23
46.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.89 ₡1,375
$2.04 CUP 48.89
41.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.40 ₡2,096
$2.49 CUP 59.7
76.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ₡977
$2.92 CUP 70.1
-29.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 ₡1,469
$1.17 CUP 28.05
164.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,194
$2.01 CUP 48.15
24.88%
Eggs
$3.30 ₡1,569
$3.18 CUP 76.4
3.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.16 ₡4,359
$5.75 CUP 138
59.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.29 ₡4,421
$5.45 CUP 131
70.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.16 ₡6,263
$11.10 CUP 266
18.56%
Apples (1kg)
$4.48 ₡2,131
$4.52 CUP 109
-0.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡771
$1.19 CUP 28.55
36.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.22 ₡1,530
$1.49 CUP 35.69
116.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.98 ₡1,419
$1.61 CUP 38.70
85.09%
Potato (1kg)
$3.01 ₡1,432
$1.76 CUP 42.32
71.02%
Onion (1kg)
$2.85 ₡1,354
$2.50 CUP 60.0
14.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₡481
$0.89 CUP 21.42
13.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 ₡1,194
$1.02 CUP 24.42
146.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.94 ₡2,350
$3.42 CUP 82.1
44.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.72 ₡7,481
$10.12 CUP 243
55.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 ₡1,130
$2.04 CUP 48.97
16.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 ₡1,290
$2.12 CUP 50.9
27.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 ₡448
$0.20 CUP 4.85
370.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.94 ₡23.3K
$22.14 CUP 531
121.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.79 ₡853
$2.10 CUP 50.4
-14.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 ₡956
$0.48 CUP 11.40
318.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.82 ₡3,723
$19.81 CUP 475
-60.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ₡719
$1.27 CUP 30.48
18.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K ₡17.5M
$70.6K CUP 1.7M
-47.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K ₡16.5M
$74.2K CUP 1.8M
-53.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.8 ₡41.3K
$37.73 CUP 905
130.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.69 ₡12.2K
$34.86 CUP 837
-26.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.8 ₡25.6K
$223 CUP 5,356
-75.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.9 ₡26.6K
$35.22 CUP 845
58.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.78 ₡13.7K
$12.32 CUP 296
133.60%
Cinema Ticket
$9.04 ₡4,303
$1.02 CUP 24.56
786.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$560 ₡266.6K
$107 CUP 2,562
424.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K ₡4.8M
$13.5K CUP 324.0K
-25.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.4 ₡34.4K
$38.61 CUP 927
87.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.4 ₡25.9K
$32.01 CUP 768
69.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 ₡55.7K
$71.1 CUP 1,707
64.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 ₡49.0K
$69.3 CUP 1,662
48.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 ₡386.1K
$345 CUP 8,278
135.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$551 ₡262.0K
$514 CUP 12.3K
7.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,482 ₡705.3K
$892 CUP 21.4K
66.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 ₡492.9K
$634 CUP 15.2K
63.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,301 ₡1.1M
$378 CUP 9,069
509.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,575 ₡749.6K
$344 CUP 8,259
357.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Costa Rica
Cuba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,030 ₡490.1K
$34.80 CUP 835
2860.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.53
8.96
17.52%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: March 2, 2026

Last update for Cuba: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated January 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar countries