😐A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $958 in Cuba, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,311 in Cuba, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,664 in Cuba, rent included.
😐Costa Rica costs about 60% more than Cuba on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.
📊Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Cuba is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
📏Cuba has a wider regional cost range ($22.00–$1,578) than Costa Rica ($1,165–$2,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Cuba.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.69₡4,413
$6.02CUP 145
60.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.8₡27.2K
$24.51CUP 588
143.94%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.65₡4,398
$6.78CUP 163
42.33%
Cappuccino
$3.99₡1,817
$1.65CUP 39.56
141.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18₡993
$1.98CUP 47.51
10.10%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64₡745
$1.22CUP 29.37
34.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.05₡1,387
$1.97CUP 47.18
54.82%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42₡2,012
$2.40CUP 57.6
84.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.05₡934
$2.91CUP 69.8
-29.55%
White Bread(500g)
$3.21₡1,464
$1.13CUP 27.08
184.07%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.49₡1,133
$2.00CUP 48.11
24.50%
Eggs
$3.29₡1,497
$3.03CUP 72.7
8.58%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.11₡4,148
$5.81CUP 139
56.80%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.70₡4,417
$5.27CUP 126
84.06%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.19₡6,010
$10.96CUP 263
20.35%
Apples(1kg)
$4.53₡2,063
$4.55CUP 109
-0.44%
Banana(1kg)
$1.57₡715
$1.14CUP 27.35
37.72%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.20₡1,460
$1.56CUP 37.55
105.13%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.94₡1,339
$1.62CUP 38.93
81.48%
Potato(1kg)
$2.99₡1,361
$1.82CUP 43.74
64.29%
Onion(1kg)
$2.71₡1,235
$2.40CUP 57.6
12.92%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03₡469
$0.87CUP 20.91
18.39%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.50₡1,138
$1.06CUP 25.43
135.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.05₡2,300
$3.45CUP 82.8
46.38%
Wine(Bottle)
$16.18₡7,372
$10.15CUP 244
59.41%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39₡1,091
$1.98CUP 47.43
20.71%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77₡1,260
$2.14CUP 51.4
29.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.95₡431
$0.20CUP 4.70
375.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$48.97₡22.3K
$22.67CUP 544
116.01%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.86₡848
$2.19CUP 52.6
-15.07%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.01₡915
$0.49CUP 11.67
310.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.75₡3,532
$19.92CUP 478
-61.09%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.50₡684
$1.23CUP 29.52
21.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K₡16.8M
$71.1KCUP 1.7M
-48.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K₡16.2M
$75.5KCUP 1.8M
-53.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$87.5₡39.8K
$36.93CUP 886
136.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.82₡11.8K
$35.56CUP 853
-27.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.5₡24.8K
$229CUP 5,506
-76.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$56.4₡25.7K
$35.18CUP 844
60.43%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.13₡13.3K
$11.98CUP 287
143.16%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14₡4,164
$1.03CUP 24.69
787.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$555₡252.8K
$110CUP 2,652
402.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,828₡4.5M
$13.4KCUP 321.6K
-26.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.9₡33.7K
$38.82CUP 932
90.39%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.2₡24.7K
$31.91CUP 766
69.82%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$119₡54.0K
$69.1CUP 1,659
71.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102₡46.5K
$70.1CUP 1,682
45.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$822₡374.6K
$340CUP 8,155
142.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$549₡250.1K
$529CUP 12.7K
3.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,469₡669.1K
$888CUP 21.3K
65.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,023₡466.2K
$626CUP 15.0K
63.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,327₡1.1M
$369CUP 8,846
531.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,612₡734.5K
$339CUP 8,128
376.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Costa Rica
Cuba
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,076₡490.3K
$37.26CUP 894
2788.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.53
8.96
17.52%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Costa Rica: April 25, 2026
Última actualización para Cuba: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $270 in Cuba. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $361 in Havana.
💰Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $36.00 in Cuba. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 187% higher in Costa Rica.
⭐Dining out costs 122% more in Costa Rica.
⭐Public transport is 15% more expensive in Cuba.
⭐Salaries are 2983% higher in Costa Rica, giving Costa Rica stronger purchasing power.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Costa Rica vs Cuba: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Cuba?
Cuba is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 100% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or Cuba?
Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.
How do daily expenses compare in Costa Rica vs Cuba?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Cuba, contributing to the overall 100% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
Can you live in both Costa Rica and Cuba on $1,000 per month?
$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cuba, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Which country is better for expats: Costa Rica or Cuba?
Cuba 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.
Costa Rica vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado