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

Name: Cuba
Address: CU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,672 per month in Costa Rica vs $926 in Cuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,628 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,312 in Cuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,583 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,697 in Cuba, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 81% higher than in Cuba on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 22% above the global median, while Cuba is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 ₡4,903

$6.08 CUP 146

80.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ₡25.2K

$24.91 CUP 598

126.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 ₡4,957

$6.64 CUP 159

67.32%

Cappuccino

$4.57 ₡2,039

$1.78 CUP 42.70

156.74%

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

$2.36 ₡1,054

$1.85 CUP 44.28

27.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡868

$1.11 CUP 26.64

74.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 ₡1,486

$1.99 CUP 47.64

67.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,030

$2.47 CUP 59.2

84.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₡1,043

$2.79 CUP 66.9

-16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 ₡1,626

$1.29 CUP 30.90

182.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ₡1,190

$2.13 CUP 51.1

25.35%

Eggs

$4.05 ₡1,805

$3.29 CUP 78.9

23.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 ₡4,564

$5.99 CUP 144

70.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,560

$5.11 CUP 123

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ₡6,111

$11.27 CUP 270

21.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,260

$4.18 CUP 100

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ₡760

$1.13 CUP 27.10

50.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 ₡1,567

$1.76 CUP 42.15

99.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,518

$1.86 CUP 44.72

82.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,592

$2.05 CUP 49.11

74.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 ₡1,406

$2.25 CUP 54.0

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₡515

$0.96 CUP 23.15

19.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,232

$0.96 CUP 23.11

187.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 ₡2,423

$3.29 CUP 78.9

65.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.30 ₡6,828

$10.03 CUP 241

52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,183

$1.83 CUP 43.89

44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₡1,497

$2.11 CUP 50.8

58.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡504

$0.23 CUP 5.50

391.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 ₡29.9K

$19.63 CUP 471

241.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 ₡1,036

$2.19 CUP 52.5

5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ₡870

$0.43 CUP 10.42

353.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 ₡4,124

$19.78 CUP 475

-53.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡691

$1.23 CUP 29.60

26.02%

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

$32.9K ₡14.7M

$71.2K CUP 1.7M

-53.84%

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

$36.4K ₡16.3M

$71.7K CUP 1.7M

-49.21%

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

$99.9 ₡44.6K

$37.21 CUP 893

168.45%

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

$31.66 ₡14.1K

$34.66 CUP 832

-8.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 ₡26.7K

$227 CUP 5,454

-73.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 ₡29.6K

$40.45 CUP 971

64.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.46 ₡10.5K

$13.24 CUP 318

77.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.91 ₡3,977

$0.98 CUP 23.57

809.18%

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

$766 ₡341.7K

$107 CUP 2,557

618.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.6M

$13.4K CUP 322.2K

-6.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.1 ₡34.9K

$40.75 CUP 978

91.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 ₡23.6K

$32.41 CUP 778

63.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ₡58.9K

$71.0 CUP 1,704

85.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₡50.2K

$70.7 CUP 1,696

59.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₡397.5K

$331 CUP 7,938

169.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 ₡300.0K

$511 CUP 12.3K

31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ₡763.2K

$892 CUP 21.4K

91.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₡525.4K

$615 CUP 14.7K

91.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,465 ₡1.1M

$360 CUP 8,649

584.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,654 ₡738.2K

$343 CUP 8,243

381.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 ₡492.6K

$36.03 CUP 865

2963.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.53

9.38

1.60%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: August 18, 2026

Last update for Cuba: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $817 in Costa Rica vs $269 in Cuba. For reference, capital cities sit at $930 in San Jose and $245 in Havana.

Average salary: $1,109 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 204% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 122% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 2981% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Costa Rica.

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 Cuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuba is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 101% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Cuba, contributing to the overall 101% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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.

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.