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

Name: Nicaragua
Address: NI

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,543 per month in Costa Rica vs $621 in Nicaragua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $989 in Nicaragua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,105 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,357 in Nicaragua, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 148% more than Nicaragua on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Nicaragua is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.97 ₡4,535

$4.24 NIO 155

135.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 ₡27.0K

$30.58 NIO 1,120

94.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₡4,432

$6.53 NIO 239

49.16%

Cappuccino

$3.94 ₡1,791

$2.09 NIO 76.5

88.52%

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

$2.11 ₡959

$0.83 NIO 30.34

154.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₡752

$0.63 NIO 23.13

161.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ₡1,327

$1.33 NIO 48.79

119.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,996

$1.95 NIO 71.6

125.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₡940

$1.21 NIO 44.37

71.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,441

$1.98 NIO 72.4

60.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,098

$1.62 NIO 59.4

48.77%

Eggs

$3.34 ₡1,518

$2.05 NIO 75.1

62.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 ₡4,202

$8.24 NIO 302

12.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 ₡4,276

$6.22 NIO 228

51.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ₡6,169

$8.00 NIO 293

69.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 ₡2,037

$4.14 NIO 152

8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡708

$1.21 NIO 44.35

28.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,527

$2.28 NIO 83.7

47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 ₡1,401

$2.01 NIO 73.7

53.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 ₡1,316

$3.49 NIO 128

-17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 ₡1,301

$2.06 NIO 75.5

38.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡467

$0.88 NIO 32.22

17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₡1,145

$1.02 NIO 37.35

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 ₡2,227

$3.16 NIO 116

55.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,359

$10.94 NIO 401

47.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,086

$1.36 NIO 49.90

75.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,264

$2.20 NIO 80.6

26.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ₡428

$0.12 NIO 4.40

683.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.22 ₡22.4K

$6.05 NIO 222

713.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₡848

$1.12 NIO 41.10

66.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡916

$0.64 NIO 23.56

214.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 ₡3,461

$6.82 NIO 250

11.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡686

$1.30 NIO 47.61

16.15%

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

$36.3K ₡16.5M

$23.3K NIO 852.8K

55.99%

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

$35.7K ₡16.2M

$27.0K NIO 987.9K

32.24%

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

$88.7 ₡40.4K

$76.6 NIO 2,804

15.91%

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

$25.67 ₡11.7K

$17.68 NIO 647

45.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 ₡24.5K

$38.23 NIO 1,400

40.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₡26.2K

$35.43 NIO 1,298

62.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.09 ₡13.2K

$14.82 NIO 543

96.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,095

$8.08 NIO 296

11.39%

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

$544 ₡247.4K

$110 NIO 4,013

396.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.6M

$8,381 NIO 306.9K

19.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 ₡33.8K

$67.7 NIO 2,481

9.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡24.2K

$49.31 NIO 1,806

7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡54.5K

$101 NIO 3,710

18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₡45.8K

$96.0 NIO 3,517

4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₡363.1K

$358 NIO 13.1K

122.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₡243.0K

$277 NIO 10.2K

92.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ₡686.5K

$601 NIO 22.0K

151.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 ₡473.5K

$491 NIO 18.0K

112.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 ₡1.1M

$1,176 NIO 43.1K

102.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡728.9K

$648 NIO 23.7K

147.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ₡482.9K

$306 NIO 11.2K

246.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

10.25

2.73%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nicaragua: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $104 in Nicaragua. For reference, capital cities sit at $879 in San Jose and $255 in Managua.

Average salary: $1,098 in Costa Rica vs $280 in Nicaragua. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 646% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 96% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 1200% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 292% higher in Costa Rica, giving Costa Rica stronger purchasing power.

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 Nicaragua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nicaragua is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 215% 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 Nicaragua, contributing to the overall 215% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Nicaragua 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.