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 $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $958 in Cuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,325 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,310 in Cuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,661 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 14% above the global median, while Cuba is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Cuba has a wider regional cost range ($23.00–$1,579) than Costa Rica ($1,141–$2,107), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Cuba.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₡4,484

$5.85 CUP 140

69.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.2K

$25.21 CUP 605

138.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₡4,429

$6.81 CUP 164

43.91%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,859

$1.61 CUP 38.66

155.28%

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

$2.10 ₡951

$1.97 CUP 47.37

6.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡770

$1.23 CUP 29.46

38.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,359

$2.02 CUP 48.50

49.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,986

$2.52 CUP 60.5

74.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₡909

$2.94 CUP 70.7

-31.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₡1,401

$1.14 CUP 27.25

171.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$2.01 CUP 48.24

21.89%

Eggs

$3.37 ₡1,524

$3.06 CUP 73.4

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₡4,127

$5.87 CUP 141

55.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 ₡4,275

$5.45 CUP 131

73.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 ₡5,970

$11.07 CUP 266

19.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 ₡2,052

$4.44 CUP 107

2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡729

$1.18 CUP 28.39

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$1.56 CUP 37.39

104.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$1.61 CUP 38.69

90.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,346

$1.74 CUP 41.82

71.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$2.49 CUP 59.8

9.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡458

$0.89 CUP 21.28

13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$1.02 CUP 24.56

139.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ₡2,277

$3.58 CUP 86.0

40.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.95 ₡7,205

$9.98 CUP 239

59.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,063

$2.04 CUP 48.87

15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$2.04 CUP 48.85

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ₡438

$0.20 CUP 4.83

385.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.77 ₡22.5K

$22.17 CUP 532

124.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₡855

$2.08 CUP 49.99

-9.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡879

$0.52 CUP 12.38

273.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 ₡3,513

$20.27 CUP 487

-61.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡683

$1.22 CUP 29.25

23.77%

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

$37.3K ₡16.9M

$69.5K CUP 1.7M

-46.23%

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

$35.7K ₡16.1M

$76.6K CUP 1.8M

-53.37%

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

$86.7 ₡39.2K

$37.07 CUP 890

133.94%

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

$25.28 ₡11.4K

$35.07 CUP 842

-27.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 ₡24.7K

$228 CUP 5,482

-76.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ₡26.1K

$35.33 CUP 848

63.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 ₡13.2K

$12.44 CUP 298

135.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 ₡4,112

$0.98 CUP 23.64

828.57%

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

$542 ₡244.9K

$107 CUP 2,566

406.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.5M

$13.4K CUP 322.8K

-25.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 ₡33.3K

$37.91 CUP 910

94.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$32.22 CUP 773

68.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.9K

$69.9 CUP 1,677

70.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₡46.9K

$71.3 CUP 1,711

45.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡360.9K

$340 CUP 8,164

134.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₡246.3K

$527 CUP 12.6K

3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ₡669.5K

$907 CUP 21.8K

63.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 ₡468.4K

$627 CUP 15.1K

65.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,403 ₡1.1M

$359 CUP 8,628

568.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡724.1K

$333 CUP 7,991

381.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 ₡487.7K

$36.29 CUP 871

2874.59%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cuba: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $777 in Costa Rica vs $269 in Cuba. For reference, capital cities sit at $880 in San Jose and $365 in Havana.

Average salary: $1,089 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 189% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 126% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 15% more expensive in Cuba.

Salaries are 2925% higher in Costa Rica, giving Costa Rica stronger purchasing power.

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 103% 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 103% 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.