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 $1,674 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,260 in Mexico, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,639 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,019 in Mexico, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,604 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,777 in Mexico, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 33% higher than in Mexico on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 22% above the global median, while Mexico is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Mexico ($792–$2,879) than in Costa Rica ($1,011–$2,175), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 ₡4,910

$11.94 MX$203

-7.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 ₡24.7K

$46.71 MX$793

18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,909

$10.16 MX$173

8.46%

Cappuccino

$4.45 ₡1,982

$3.88 MX$65.9

14.69%

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

$2.47 ₡1,099

$1.58 MX$26.90

56.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₡874

$1.11 MX$18.79

76.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,479

$2.92 MX$49.56

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,967

$4.82 MX$81.8

-8.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 ₡1,103

$1.77 MX$30.11

39.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 ₡1,597

$3.04 MX$51.7

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₡1,194

$1.93 MX$32.82

38.86%

Eggs

$4.09 ₡1,824

$2.69 MX$45.61

52.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 ₡4,412

$9.76 MX$166

1.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 ₡4,585

$8.70 MX$148

18.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 ₡6,321

$12.54 MX$213

13.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 ₡2,225

$3.12 MX$53.0

59.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₡798

$1.75 MX$29.78

2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,615

$2.22 MX$37.73

63.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,536

$2.14 MX$36.31

61.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 ₡1,508

$2.20 MX$37.29

53.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 ₡1,378

$2.09 MX$35.55

47.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₡511

$1.53 MX$26.00

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,273

$1.23 MX$20.83

132.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.42 ₡2,416

$4.72 MX$80.2

14.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 ₡6,880

$11.54 MX$196

33.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₡1,204

$1.82 MX$30.99

48.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 ₡1,519

$3.45 MX$58.6

-1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡502

$0.69 MX$11.78

63.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡29.7K

$29.26 MX$497

127.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 ₡991

$2.88 MX$48.83

-22.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 ₡885

$2.87 MX$48.73

-30.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 ₡3,992

$11.76 MX$200

-23.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡703

$1.49 MX$25.26

6.04%

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

$33.6K ₡15.0M

$22.4K MX$381.1K

49.63%

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

$37.0K ₡16.5M

$26.1K MX$442.9K

41.93%

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

$97.1 ₡43.3K

$74.6 MX$1,267

30.11%

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

$31.32 ₡14.0K

$25.21 MX$428

24.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.6K

$31.40 MX$533

90.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 ₡29.2K

$39.89 MX$678

64.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.48 ₡10.5K

$19.08 MX$324

23.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 ₡3,826

$5.62 MX$95.4

52.85%

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

$748 ₡333.3K

$282 MX$4,787

165.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.6M

$6,767 MX$114.9K

86.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 ₡33.7K

$60.5 MX$1,027

25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 ₡24.1K

$44.67 MX$759

21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.7K

$105 MX$1,782

23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₡50.5K

$97.9 MX$1,663

15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 ₡390.0K

$766 MX$13.0K

14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 ₡294.7K

$494 MX$8,386

33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 ₡789.7K

$1,413 MX$24.0K

25.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 ₡536.7K

$954 MX$16.2K

26.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,413 ₡1.1M

$2,695 MX$45.8K

-10.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,634 ₡728.0K

$1,570 MX$26.7K

4.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,078 ₡480.2K

$835 MX$14.2K

29.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

11.43

-16.36%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $820 in Costa Rica vs $672 in Mexico. For reference, capital cities sit at $931 in San Jose and $1,134 in Mexico City.

Average salary: $1,106 in Costa Rica vs $784 in Mexico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 13% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 41% 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

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 15% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Mexico, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Mexico consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 15% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Mexico it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Costa Rica 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.