Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $391 a month against $1,779 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in India

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Costa Rica and in India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Costa Rica vs $391 in India, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,779
India $391

A couple spends around $2,745 per month in Costa Rica vs $620 in India, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,745
India $620

A family of three spends $3,711 per month in Costa Rica vs $849 in India, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,711
India $849

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,127) than in India ($228–$812), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 355% higher than in India on average.

Costa Rica sits 32% above the global median, while India is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 ₡5,278

$2.14 ₹203

450.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$10.52 ₹999

423.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,880

$3.58 ₹340

203.91%

Cappuccino

$4.50 ₡2,018

$1.67 ₹158

169.46%

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

$2.37 ₡1,063

$0.37 ₹35.48

540.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡858

$0.15 ₹14.18

1173.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,457

$1.84 ₹175

76.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,974

$3.07 ₹292

43.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,098

$0.62 ₹58.8

295.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₡1,599

$0.49 ₹46.73

628.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 ₡1,235

$0.63 ₹60.1

336.51%

Eggs

$4.03 ₡1,806

$0.96 ₹90.7

319.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,504

$4.71 ₹447

113.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,665

$2.92 ₹277

256.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ₡6,140

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,313

$1.98 ₹188

160.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡760

$0.68 ₹64.4

148.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$1.02 ₹97.2

252.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,519

$0.46 ₹43.78

636.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,506

$0.34 ₹32.20

888.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,427

$0.41 ₹39.00

675.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.43 ₹40.66

160.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$0.31 ₹29.73

758.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,415

$4.89 ₹464

10.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 ₡7,197

$7.25 ₹688

121.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,214

$1.71 ₹162

58.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,480

$2.74 ₹260

20.44%

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

$5.25 ₹499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.27 ₹25.86

318.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 ₡29.5K

$8.39 ₹797

684.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 ₡1,021

$1.03 ₹97.8

121.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ₡895

$0.25 ₹23.49

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₡4,074

$1.60 ₹152

467.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.13 ₹107

36.28%

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

$32.5K ₡14.6M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

156.86%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$20.1K ₹1.9M

82.06%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$37.55 ₹3,566

154.94%

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

$30.83 ₡13.8K

$3.47 ₹330

788.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$7.15 ₹679

716.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ₡29.4K

$14.58 ₹1,385

349.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 ₡9,948

$7.21 ₹684

207.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₡3,701

$3.18 ₹302

159.43%

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

$743 ₡333.3K

$56.8 ₹5,391

1209.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.7M

$1,651 ₹156.7K

666.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ₡33.7K

$22.55 ₹2,141

232.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$24.54 ₹2,330

130.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$39.69 ₹3,769

231.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₡49.2K

$29.84 ₹2,833

267.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ₡376.9K

$141 ₹13.4K

496.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ₡293.9K

$89.7 ₹8,515

630.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 ₡784.7K

$325 ₹30.9K

438.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₡527.9K

$207 ₹19.7K

467.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₡1.1M

$1,214 ₹115.3K

100.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.7K

$638 ₹60.6K

157.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,071 ₡480.5K

$434 ₹41.2K

146.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

8.92

7.17%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Last update for India: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$655 36.9%

India

$90 23% 86.3% $566

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$383 21.5%

India

$102 26.2% 73.3% $281

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$223 12.5%

India

$65 16.7% 70.7% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.4%

India

$48 12.3% 73.9% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$168 9.4%

India

$52 13.4% 68.7% $115

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$83 4.6%

India

$12 3% 85.8% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.6%

India

$21 5.4% 74.5% $61

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Costa Rica vs $119 in India. For reference, capital cities sit at $927 in San Jose and $267 in Delhi.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $411 in India. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 597% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 440% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 114% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 165% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

09:50 9:50 AM

11 h 30 min ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica India 15,280 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
India

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 355% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $830 versus $119 in India.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in India, adding to the overall 355% price gap.

$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.