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 $1,660 per month in Costa Rica vs $690 in Nicaragua, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,621 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,111 in Nicaragua, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,581 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,531 in Nicaragua, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 141% higher than in Nicaragua on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 20% above the global median, while Nicaragua is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 ₡4,874

$4.85 NIO 178

124.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$33.42 NIO 1,224

66.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 ₡4,839

$7.47 NIO 274

44.71%

Cappuccino

$4.52 ₡2,021

$2.34 NIO 85.5

93.16%

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

$2.45 ₡1,095

$0.83 NIO 30.47

195.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₡844

$0.65 NIO 23.97

190.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,476

$1.39 NIO 51.1

137.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ₡2,064

$1.96 NIO 71.6

135.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$1.29 NIO 47.08

87.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$2.06 NIO 75.3

74.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 ₡1,207

$1.66 NIO 60.9

62.65%

Eggs

$4.01 ₡1,796

$2.29 NIO 83.9

75.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ₡4,568

$9.53 NIO 349

7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,647

$6.53 NIO 239

58.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 ₡6,190

$7.51 NIO 275

84.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 ₡2,272

$3.99 NIO 146

27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₡782

$0.84 NIO 30.78

108.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 ₡1,575

$1.81 NIO 66.3

94.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,446

$2.22 NIO 81.2

45.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 ₡1,496

$3.76 NIO 138

-11.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,422

$2.25 NIO 82.6

41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.05 NIO 38.42

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,200

$1.17 NIO 42.97

129.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,495

$3.43 NIO 126

62.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 ₡6,817

$11.84 NIO 434

28.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,196

$1.42 NIO 51.9

88.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 ₡1,490

$2.13 NIO 77.9

56.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡486

$0.15 NIO 5.53

626.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 ₡29.3K

$5.90 NIO 216

1008.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₡983

$1.53 NIO 56.0

43.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡870

$1.45 NIO 53.2

33.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₡3,969

$6.85 NIO 251

29.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 ₡718

$1.32 NIO 48.32

21.21%

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

$32.7K ₡14.6M

$23.4K NIO 857.3K

39.50%

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

$36.3K ₡16.3M

$25.9K NIO 947.5K

40.46%

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

$95.2 ₡42.6K

$94.3 NIO 3,454

0.92%

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

$31.50 ₡14.1K

$17.38 NIO 637

81.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.7K

$38.20 NIO 1,399

56.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 ₡29.7K

$30.50 NIO 1,117

117.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.60 ₡10.6K

$15.23 NIO 558

54.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 ₡3,676

$9.27 NIO 339

-11.43%

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

$726 ₡324.9K

$235 NIO 8,620

208.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.7M

$6,905 NIO 252.9K

84.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.6 ₡33.4K

$56.9 NIO 2,084

31.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$65.8 NIO 2,411

-18.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡56.0K

$117 NIO 4,291

6.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡47.7K

$107 NIO 3,914

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 ₡395.5K

$351 NIO 12.8K

151.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡286.7K

$212 NIO 7,747

202.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 ₡779.9K

$556 NIO 20.3K

213.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 ₡522.7K

$478 NIO 17.5K

144.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,400 ₡1.1M

$1,211 NIO 44.3K

98.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,671 ₡748.0K

$647 NIO 23.7K

158.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 ₡484.5K

$337 NIO 12.3K

221.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

11.25

-15.02%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nicaragua: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $816 in Costa Rica vs $109 in Nicaragua. For reference, capital cities sit at $960 in San Jose and $253 in Managua.

Average salary: $1,106 in Costa Rica vs $309 in Nicaragua. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 649% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 77% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 1300% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 258% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 Nicaragua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nicaragua is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 198% 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 198% 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.