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 $1,535 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,121 in Mexico, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,322 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,781 in Mexico, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,108 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,441 in Mexico, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 37% higher than in 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.

The regional cost range is wider in Mexico ($687–$2,360) than in Costa Rica ($1,125–$2,081), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 ₡4,505

$10.51 MX$184

-3.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ₡26.8K

$41.82 MX$734

43.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 ₡4,516

$7.83 MX$137

29.25%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₡1,738

$3.37 MX$59.2

15.73%

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

$2.20 ₡982

$1.34 MX$23.46

64.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₡743

$0.98 MX$17.25

70.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 ₡1,367

$2.33 MX$40.92

31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,969

$4.13 MX$72.4

6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ₡937

$1.51 MX$26.44

39.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₡1,437

$2.57 MX$45.15

25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,115

$1.78 MX$31.23

40.45%

Eggs

$3.37 ₡1,505

$2.37 MX$41.52

42.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 ₡4,268

$8.63 MX$151

10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 ₡4,212

$7.53 MX$132

25.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 ₡5,992

$10.73 MX$188

25.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 ₡2,084

$2.75 MX$48.29

69.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡700

$1.46 MX$25.59

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,428

$1.86 MX$32.62

72.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,330

$1.80 MX$31.55

65.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,329

$1.93 MX$33.77

54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 ₡1,264

$2.05 MX$36.04

38.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡452

$1.27 MX$22.21

-20.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,117

$1.04 MX$18.28

140.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,270

$4.36 MX$76.4

16.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 ₡7,200

$11.48 MX$201

40.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,047

$1.65 MX$28.90

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,255

$3.01 MX$52.8

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡452

$0.64 MX$11.29

57.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.99 ₡22.3K

$26.22 MX$460

90.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₡833

$2.69 MX$47.16

-30.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ₡877

$1.99 MX$34.94

-1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₡3,397

$10.67 MX$187

-28.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₡645

$1.27 MX$22.36

13.39%

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

$36.5K ₡16.3M

$20.4K MX$357.0K

79.26%

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

$35.4K ₡15.8M

$23.3K MX$409.5K

51.65%

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

$87.3 ₡38.9K

$63.3 MX$1,111

37.87%

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

$25.16 ₡11.2K

$23.40 MX$410

7.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 ₡23.7K

$28.07 MX$492

88.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ₡25.6K

$35.26 MX$618

62.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.74 ₡12.8K

$18.50 MX$325

55.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 ₡4,035

$4.86 MX$85.2

86.01%

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

$553 ₡246.7K

$247 MX$4,329

124.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,994 ₡4.5M

$5,786 MX$101.5K

72.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.6 ₡32.0K

$51.6 MX$905

38.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.7K

$41.40 MX$726

28.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.0K

$94.4 MX$1,656

25.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡45.6K

$88.3 MX$1,549

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 ₡360.7K

$647 MX$11.3K

25.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₡242.5K

$456 MX$7,992

19.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 ₡654.2K

$1,249 MX$21.9K

17.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 ₡454.0K

$853 MX$15.0K

19.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 ₡1.1M

$2,595 MX$45.5K

-7.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,638 ₡730.9K

$1,536 MX$26.9K

6.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 ₡476.1K

$806 MX$14.1K

32.45%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $750 in Costa Rica vs $530 in Mexico. For reference, capital cities sit at $860 in San Jose and $1,003 in Mexico City.

Average salary: $1,096 in Costa Rica vs $761 in Mexico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 42% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 31% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 18% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 44% 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 5% 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 5% 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.