Comparación del coste de vida entre Costa Rica y Puerto Rico Comparación del coste de vida entre Costa Rica y Puerto Rico

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,567 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,384 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,200 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Costa Rica is roughly 2% cheaper than Puerto Rico on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Costa Rica and Puerto Rico are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 15%, Puerto Rico by 17%.

Puerto Rico has a wider regional cost range ($1,082$2,404) than Costa Rica ($1,165$2,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Puerto Rico.

Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.69 ₡4,413
$14.85 $14.85
-34.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.8 ₡27.2K
$75.3 $75.3
-20.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.65 ₡4,398
$9.14 $9.14
5.58%
Cappuccino
$3.99 ₡1,817
$3.33 $3.33
19.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 ₡993
$1.58 $1.58
37.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ₡745
$1.27 $1.27
29.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 ₡1,387
$2.65 $2.65
15.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 ₡2,012
$3.95 $3.95
11.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ₡934
$2.08 $2.08
-1.44%
White Bread (500g)
$3.21 ₡1,464
$3.07 $3.07
4.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 ₡1,133
$2.23 $2.23
11.66%
Eggs
$3.29 ₡1,497
$5.02 $5.02
-34.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.11 ₡4,148
$9.33 $9.33
-2.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.70 ₡4,417
$8.52 $8.52
13.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.19 ₡6,010
$11.56 $11.56
14.10%
Apples (1kg)
$4.53 ₡2,063
$5.15 $5.15
-12.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 ₡715
$2.60 $2.60
-39.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.20 ₡1,460
$3.84 $3.84
-16.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.94 ₡1,339
$4.56 $4.56
-35.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.99 ₡1,361
$3.09 $3.09
-3.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 ₡1,235
$2.79 $2.79
-2.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 ₡469
$2.64 $2.64
-60.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 ₡1,138
$1.90 $1.90
31.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.05 ₡2,300
$10.91 $10.91
-53.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.18 ₡7,372
$15.33 $15.33
5.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 ₡1,091
$2.36 $2.36
1.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ₡1,260
$3.34 $3.34
-17.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.95 ₡431
$1.70 $1.70
-44.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.97 ₡22.3K
$40.32 $40.32
21.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.86 ₡848
$5.87 $5.87
-68.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 ₡915
$1.01 $1.01
99.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.75 ₡3,532
$27.24 $27.24
-71.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 ₡684
$0.93 $0.93
61.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K ₡16.8M
$35.4K $35.4K
3.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K ₡16.2M
$27.7K $27.7K
28.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.5 ₡39.8K
$299 $299
-70.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.82 ₡11.8K
$72.2 $72.2
-64.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.5 ₡24.8K
$68.7 $68.7
-20.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 ₡25.7K
$34.38 $34.38
64.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.13 ₡13.3K
$33.16 $33.16
-12.15%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14 ₡4,164
$8.87 $8.87
3.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$555 ₡252.8K
$424 $424
30.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,828 ₡4.5M
$7,525 $7,525
30.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.9 ₡33.7K
$48.05 $48.05
53.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.2 ₡24.7K
$45.64 $45.64
18.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 ₡54.0K
$84.6 $84.6
40.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 ₡46.5K
$99.0 $99.0
3.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$822 ₡374.6K
$819 $819
0.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$549 ₡250.1K
$611 $611
-10.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 ₡669.1K
$1,566 $1,566
-6.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 ₡466.2K
$1,114 $1,114
-8.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,327 ₡1.1M
$5,029 $5,029
-53.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,612 ₡734.5K
$1,906 $1,906
-15.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,076 ₡490.3K
$2,651 $2,651
-59.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.53
5.62
87.37%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para Puerto Rico: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $429 in Puerto Rico. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $1,568 in San Juan.

Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $2,318 in Puerto Rico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 81% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 45% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 86% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 109% higher in Puerto Rico, giving Puerto Rico stronger purchasing power.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Costa Rica vs Puerto Rico: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Puerto Rico?
Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or Puerto Rico?
Housing costs more in Puerto Rico, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Puerto Rico consistently has higher rents.
How do daily expenses compare in Costa Rica vs Puerto Rico?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 9% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
Can you live in both Costa Rica and Puerto Rico on $2,000 per month?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Puerto Rico it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Which country is better for expats: Costa Rica or Puerto Rico?
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.

Costa Rica vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado

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