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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,543 per month in Costa Rica vs $388 in India, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $617 in India, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Costa Rica vs $846 in India, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 298% more than India on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while India is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Costa Rica has a wider regional cost range ($1,133–$2,084) than India ($264–$888), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Costa Rica.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.97 ₡4,556

$2.49 ₹238

300.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 ₡27.1K

$14.20 ₹1,360

318.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₡4,452

$3.98 ₹381

144.72%

Cappuccino

$3.94 ₡1,799

$1.88 ₹180

109.57%

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

$2.11 ₡964

$0.44 ₹42.21

379.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₡756

$0.19 ₹18.67

768.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ₡1,333

$2.02 ₹193

44.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡2,006

$3.45 ₹331

27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₡944

$0.72 ₹68.7

187.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,448

$0.52 ₹49.53

509.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,103

$0.72 ₹69.1

234.72%

Eggs

$3.34 ₡1,525

$0.93 ₹89.3

259.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ₡4,221

$5.24 ₹502

76.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 ₡4,296

$3.07 ₹294

206.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₡6,197

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 ₡2,046

$2.17 ₹208

106.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡711

$0.76 ₹72.6

105.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,534

$1.05 ₹101

220.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 ₡1,408

$0.53 ₹51.0

481.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 ₡1,322

$0.39 ₹37.74

641.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 ₡1,307

$0.49 ₹47.06

483.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡469

$0.52 ₹49.62

98.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₡1,151

$0.33 ₹31.30

663.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 ₡2,237

$4.05 ₹388

20.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,392

$7.39 ₹708

118.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,091

$1.84 ₹176

29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,269

$2.90 ₹278

-4.14%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹541

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ₡430

$0.36 ₹34.78

161.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.22 ₡22.5K

$9.74 ₹933

405.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₡852

$0.95 ₹91.1

96.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡920

$0.30 ₹28.79

570.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₡3,477

$1.73 ₹166

339.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡689

$1.23 ₹117

22.76%

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

$36.3K ₡16.6M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

162.22%

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

$35.7K ₡16.3M

$22.6K ₹2.2M

57.81%

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

$88.7 ₡40.5K

$40.88 ₹3,915

117.07%

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

$25.67 ₡11.7K

$3.91 ₹374

556.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 ₡24.6K

$7.81 ₹748

589.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₡26.4K

$16.15 ₹1,547

257.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.09 ₡13.3K

$7.49 ₹717

288.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,113

$3.42 ₹328

163.16%

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

$544 ₡248.5K

$69.9 ₹6,697

677.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.6M

$1,793 ₹171.7K

458.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 ₡33.9K

$25.83 ₹2,474

187.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡24.3K

$26.61 ₹2,549

99.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡54.7K

$45.24 ₹4,332

164.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₡46.0K

$33.68 ₹3,226

199.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₡364.8K

$178 ₹17.1K

348.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₡244.1K

$115 ₹11.0K

365.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ₡689.7K

$407 ₹39.0K

271.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 ₡475.7K

$264 ₹25.2K

295.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 ₡1.1M

$1,240 ₹118.7K

92.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡732.2K

$631 ₹60.5K

153.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ₡485.1K

$432 ₹41.4K

145.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

9.02

16.74%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $127 in India. For reference, capital cities sit at $879 in San Jose and $239 in Delhi.

Average salary: $1,098 in Costa Rica vs $398 in India. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 511% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 364% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 176% higher in Costa Rica, giving India 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

India is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 179% 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 India, contributing to the overall 179% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in India, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

India 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.