Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Montserrat

Name: Montserrat
Address: MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Montserrat: $927 a month against $1,830 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,830

/mo nomad

🇲🇸 Montserrat

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,830 per month in Costa Rica vs $927 in Montserrat, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,830
Montserrat $927

A couple spends around $2,781 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,150 in Montserrat, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,781
Montserrat $2,150

A family of three spends $3,733 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,374 in Montserrat, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,733
Montserrat $3,374

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,006–$2,121) than in Montserrat ($922–$922), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 97% higher than in Montserrat on average.

Costa Rica sits 35% above the global median, while Montserrat is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 ₡5,266

$18.86 EC$50.9

-37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 ₡25.2K

$47.27 EC$128

18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 ₡5,027

$12.24 EC$33.05

-8.66%

Cappuccino

$4.63 ₡2,081

$7.04 EC$19.01

-34.23%

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

$2.34 ₡1,052

$2.90 EC$7.83

-19.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡832

$1.57 EC$4.23

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,455

$2.98 EC$8.04

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 ₡2,054

$4.43 EC$11.96

3.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.53 EC$9.54

-31.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 ₡1,615

$3.02 EC$8.15

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 ₡1,255

Eggs

$3.87 ₡1,740

$7.34 EC$19.83

-47.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,665

$5.98 EC$16.13

73.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 ₡4,498

$9.04 EC$24.40

10.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.77 ₡6,191

$22.93 EC$61.9

-39.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 ₡2,141

$3.23 EC$8.73

47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 ₡771

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,538

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,453

$4.57 EC$12.34

-29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ₡1,479

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 ₡1,406

$2.23 EC$6.03

40.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$5.05 EC$13.62

-78.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,238

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 ₡2,402

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 ₡7,294

$22.43 EC$60.6

-27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,182

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 ₡1,463

$4.45 EC$12.02

-26.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.86 EC$5.03

-41.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 ₡30.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ₡981

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡902

$4.69 EC$12.67

-57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 ₡3,631

$1.89 EC$5.10

327.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

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

$33.9K ₡15.2M

$22.5K EC$60.9K

50.38%

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

$37.5K ₡16.9M

$14.9K EC$40.1K

152.23%

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

$98.2 ₡44.1K

$93.7 EC$253

4.73%

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

$30.64 ₡13.8K

$40.57 EC$110

-24.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.8K

$46.93 EC$127

27.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ₡29.2K

$56.5 EC$153

15.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 ₡10.2K

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 ₡3,671

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

$733 ₡329.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₡8.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 ₡33.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ₡419.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 ₡317.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 ₡792.3K

$1,300 EC$3,511

35.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ₡539.8K

$1,290 EC$3,483

-6.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,692 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,834 ₡824.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 ₡483.5K

$1,587 EC$4,285

-32.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

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

Last update for Costa Rica: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montserrat: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$706 38.6%

Montserrat

–

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$379 20.7%

Montserrat

–

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$225 12.3%

Montserrat

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$189 10.3%

Montserrat

–

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Montserrat

–

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$84 4.6%

Montserrat

–

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$81 4.5%

Montserrat

–

Cost Breakdown

Average salary: $1,092 in Costa Rica vs $1,301 in Montserrat. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 13% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 19% higher in Montserrat, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Montserrat.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇲🇸 Montserrat

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

04:57 4:57 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

5,440

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica Montserrat 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Montserrat

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 Montserrat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montserrat is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 49% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Costa Rica costs about 97% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Costa Rica. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

Montserrat is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.