Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Puerto Rico

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,779 a month against $1,938 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto Rico outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
Learn more

Puerto Rico Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in Puerto Rico

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

A single person spends $1,779 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,938 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,779
Puerto Rico $1,938

A couple spends around $2,745 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,984 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,745
Puerto Rico $2,984

A family of three spends $3,711 per month in Costa Rica vs $4,029 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,711
Puerto Rico $4,029

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 8% lower than in Puerto Rico on average.

Both Costa Rica and Puerto Rico are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 32%, Puerto Rico by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 ₡5,278

$15.20 $15.20

-22.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₡24.7K

$79.4 $79.4

-30.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,880

$9.96 $9.96

9.24%

Cappuccino

$4.50 ₡2,018

$3.48 $3.48

29.31%

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

$2.37 ₡1,063

$1.71 $1.71

38.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡858

$1.41 $1.41

35.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 ₡1,457

$2.94 $2.94

10.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,974

$4.58 $4.58

-3.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,098

$2.17 $2.17

12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₡1,599

$3.40 $3.40

5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 ₡1,235

$2.31 $2.31

19.05%

Eggs

$4.03 ₡1,806

$5.89 $5.89

-31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₡4,504

$11.29 $11.29

-11.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,665

$8.33 $8.33

24.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 ₡6,140

$12.31 $12.31

11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,313

$4.44 $4.44

16.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡760

$2.67 $2.67

-36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$4.38 $4.38

-17.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,519

$4.40 $4.40

-22.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,506

$3.55 $3.55

-5.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 ₡1,427

$3.16 $3.16

0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.92 $2.92

-61.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.86 $1.86

43.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,415

$11.98 $11.98

-55.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.05 ₡7,197

$15.36 $15.36

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,214

$2.35 $2.35

15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,480

$3.62 $3.62

-8.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.23 $1.23

-8.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 ₡29.5K

$30.45 $30.45

116.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 ₡1,021

$2.55 $2.55

-10.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ₡895

$1.54 $1.54

29.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₡4,074

$42.38 $42.38

-78.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.08 $1.08

42.59%

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

$32.5K ₡14.6M

$40.1K $40.1K

-18.94%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$29.5K $29.5K

24.22%

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

$95.7 ₡42.9K

$294 $294

-67.38%

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

$30.83 ₡13.8K

$66.9 $66.9

-53.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$72.4 $72.4

-19.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 ₡29.4K

$28.95 $28.95

126.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.18 ₡9,948

$14.06 $14.06

57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.25 ₡3,701

$10.07 $10.07

-18.07%

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

$743 ₡333.3K

$725 $725

2.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡5.7M

$11.5K $11.5K

10.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ₡33.7K

$57.0 $57.0

31.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$48.49 $48.49

16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$92.4 $92.4

42.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₡49.2K

$99.4 $99.4

10.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ₡376.9K

$1,087 $1,087

-22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$655 ₡293.9K

$667 $667

-1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 ₡784.7K

$2,091 $2,091

-16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₡527.9K

$1,289 $1,289

-8.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₡1.1M

$5,538 $5,538

-56.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.7K

$2,484 $2,484

-33.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,071 ₡480.5K

$2,751 $2,751

-61.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

6.51

46.85%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$655 36.9%

Puerto Rico

$667 34.5% 1.9% $12

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$383 21.5%

Puerto Rico

$379 19.6% 0.9% $3.5

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$223 12.5%

Puerto Rico

$230 11.9% 2.9% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.4%

Puerto Rico

$433 22.3% 134% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$168 9.4%

Puerto Rico

$134 6.9% 20.2% $34

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$83 4.6%

Puerto Rico

$46 2.4% 44.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.6%

Puerto Rico

$49 2.5% 40.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Costa Rica vs $316 in Puerto Rico. For reference, capital cities sit at $927 in San Jose and $1,802 in San Juan.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $2,566 in Puerto Rico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 163% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 30% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 136% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

3,285,874

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica Puerto Rico 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Puerto Rico

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 Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Puerto Rico costs about 9% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Puerto Rico. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$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.

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.