Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico: $1,276 a month against $1,779 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
Learn more

Mexico Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,276

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mexico actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,276 in Mexico, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,779
Mexico $1,276

A couple spends around $2,745 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,023 in Mexico, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,745
Mexico $2,023

A family of three spends $3,711 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,770 in Mexico, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,711
Mexico $2,770

The regional cost range is wider in Mexico ($738–$2,646) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,127), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 39% higher than in Mexico on average.

Costa Rica sits 32% above the global median, while Mexico is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 ₡5,278

$10.91 MX$202

7.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$44.51 MX$822

23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,880

$9.21 MX$170

18.13%

Cappuccino

$4.50 ₡2,018

$3.55 MX$65.6

26.76%

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

$2.37 ₡1,063

$1.43 MX$26.34

65.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡858

$1.07 MX$19.83

78.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,457

$2.73 MX$50.4

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,974

$4.40 MX$81.3

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,098

$1.61 MX$29.74

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₡1,599

$2.74 MX$50.7

30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 ₡1,235

$1.72 MX$31.76

59.88%

Eggs

$4.03 ₡1,806

$2.57 MX$47.55

56.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,504

$9.34 MX$173

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,665

$8.13 MX$150

27.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ₡6,140

$11.62 MX$215

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,313

$2.94 MX$54.3

75.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡760

$1.62 MX$29.95

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$2.08 MX$38.41

73.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,519

$1.91 MX$35.21

77.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,506

$2.07 MX$38.22

62.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,427

$2.05 MX$37.86

55.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.44 MX$26.69

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.10 MX$20.33

141.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,415

$4.64 MX$85.7

15.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 ₡7,197

$10.76 MX$199

49.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,214

$1.79 MX$33.08

51.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,480

$3.33 MX$61.5

-0.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.63 MX$11.61

79.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 ₡29.5K

$27.08 MX$500

143.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 ₡1,021

$2.77 MX$51.2

-17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ₡895

$2.76 MX$51.1

-27.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₡4,074

$11.03 MX$204

-17.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.47 MX$27.17

4.76%

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

$32.5K ₡14.6M

$20.8K MX$384.4K

56.09%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$24.2K MX$446.9K

51.34%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$69.1 MX$1,278

38.46%

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

$30.83 ₡13.8K

$23.20 MX$429

32.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$28.94 MX$535

101.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ₡29.4K

$36.82 MX$680

78.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 ₡9,948

$18.19 MX$336

21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₡3,701

$5.29 MX$97.7

55.95%

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

$743 ₡333.3K

$264 MX$4,887

181.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.7M

$6,272 MX$115.9K

101.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ₡33.7K

$56.8 MX$1,050

32.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$41.50 MX$767

36.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$99.0 MX$1,828

32.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₡49.2K

$89.5 MX$1,654

22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ₡376.9K

$714 MX$13.2K

17.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ₡293.9K

$469 MX$8,674

39.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 ₡784.7K

$1,323 MX$24.5K

32.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₡527.9K

$901 MX$16.7K

30.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₡1.1M

$2,553 MX$47.2K

-4.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.7K

$1,467 MX$27.1K

11.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,071 ₡480.5K

$768 MX$14.2K

39.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

11.44

-16.43%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$655 36.9%

Mexico

$469 36.8% 28.4% $186

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$383 21.5%

Mexico

$273 21.4% 28.7% $110

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$223 12.5%

Mexico

$190 14.9% 14.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.4%

Mexico

$121 9.5% 34.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$168 9.4%

Mexico

$129 10.1% 23.1% $39

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$83 4.6%

Mexico

$46 3.6% 44.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.6%

Mexico

$47 3.7% 42.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Costa Rica vs $617 in Mexico. For reference, capital cities sit at $927 in San Jose and $1,051 in Mexico City.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $735 in Mexico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 35% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 26% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 25% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 48% higher in Costa Rica.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇲🇽 Mexico

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

Same time as Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

124,777,324

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica Mexico 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Mexico

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 Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 39% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $830 versus $617 in Mexico.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Mexico, adding to the overall 39% price gap.

$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.