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

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,543 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,121 in Mexico, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,791 in Mexico, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,461 in Mexico, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 38% more than Mexico on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Mexico is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Mexico has a wider regional cost range ($701–$2,382) than Costa Rica ($1,133–$2,084), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Mexico.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.97 ₡4,556

$10.51 MX$182

-5.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 ₡27.1K

$41.93 MX$725

41.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₡4,452

$7.84 MX$135

24.23%

Cappuccino

$3.94 ₡1,799

$3.42 MX$59.1

15.20%

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

$2.11 ₡964

$1.32 MX$22.81

59.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₡756

$0.98 MX$16.97

68.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ₡1,333

$2.36 MX$40.77

23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡2,006

$4.27 MX$73.7

2.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₡944

$1.51 MX$26.12

37.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,448

$2.66 MX$45.90

19.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,103

$1.70 MX$29.43

41.76%

Eggs

$3.34 ₡1,525

$2.35 MX$40.62

42.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ₡4,221

$8.40 MX$145

10.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 ₡4,296

$7.55 MX$130

24.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₡6,197

$10.84 MX$187

25.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 ₡2,046

$2.72 MX$47.08

64.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡711

$1.51 MX$26.06

3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,534

$1.92 MX$33.23

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 ₡1,408

$1.80 MX$31.11

71.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 ₡1,322

$2.03 MX$35.04

42.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 ₡1,307

$1.99 MX$34.46

43.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡469

$1.31 MX$22.69

-21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₡1,151

$1.06 MX$18.25

137.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 ₡2,237

$4.26 MX$73.6

15.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,392

$11.56 MX$200

39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,091

$1.58 MX$27.22

51.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,269

$3.03 MX$52.3

-8.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ₡430

$0.61 MX$10.47

54.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.22 ₡22.5K

$26.28 MX$454

87.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₡852

$2.69 MX$46.50

-30.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡920

$1.93 MX$33.34

4.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₡3,477

$10.64 MX$184

-28.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡689

$1.32 MX$22.89

14.39%

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

$36.3K ₡16.6M

$20.1K MX$346.6K

81.10%

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

$35.7K ₡16.3M

$23.4K MX$405.1K

52.16%

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

$88.7 ₡40.5K

$62.4 MX$1,079

42.17%

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

$25.67 ₡11.7K

$23.27 MX$402

10.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 ₡24.6K

$28.56 MX$493

88.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₡26.4K

$34.68 MX$599

66.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.09 ₡13.3K

$18.65 MX$322

55.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,113

$4.69 MX$81.0

91.90%

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

$544 ₡248.5K

$249 MX$4,304

118.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.6M

$5,774 MX$99.8K

73.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 ₡33.9K

$52.3 MX$903

42.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡24.3K

$40.31 MX$697

31.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡54.7K

$93.0 MX$1,608

28.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₡46.0K

$87.6 MX$1,514

15.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₡364.8K

$639 MX$11.0K

24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₡244.1K

$448 MX$7,736

19.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ₡689.7K

$1,226 MX$21.2K

23.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 ₡475.7K

$870 MX$15.0K

19.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 ₡1.1M

$2,628 MX$45.4K

-9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡732.2K

$1,563 MX$27.0K

2.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ₡485.1K

$825 MX$14.3K

28.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

11.45

-8.03%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $530 in Mexico. For reference, capital cities sit at $879 in San Jose and $1,022 in Mexico City.

Average salary: $1,098 in Costa Rica vs $772 in Mexico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 46% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 31% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 18% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 42% higher 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 Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 4% 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 Mexico, contributing to the overall 4% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Mexico, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Mexico 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.