Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Saint Lucia Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Saint Lucia

😐 Solo nomad: Costa Rica is 28% more expensive than Saint Lucia without rent, and 18% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Costa Rica is 11.8% more expensive than Saint Lucia without rent, and 11.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.67 β‚‘4,564
$7.98 EC$21.56
21.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.6 β‚‘27.7K
$73.6 EC$199
-20.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.23 β‚‘4,832
$7.77 EC$20.97
31.66%
Cappuccino
$3.97 β‚‘1,876
$3.42 EC$9.24
16.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 β‚‘1,024
$1.33 EC$3.60
63.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 β‚‘817
$1.05 EC$2.84
64.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.89 β‚‘1,365
$2.81 EC$7.60
2.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.40 β‚‘2,080
$3.37 EC$9.11
30.56%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 β‚‘969
$2.30 EC$6.20
-10.87%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 β‚‘1,458
$1.48 EC$4.00
108.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 β‚‘1,185
$1.64 EC$4.43
53.05%
Eggs
$3.30 β‚‘1,557
$4.29 EC$11.59
-23.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.16 β‚‘4,326
$10.06 EC$27.16
-8.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.29 β‚‘4,388
$10.34 EC$27.92
-10.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.16 β‚‘6,215
$17.74 EC$47.89
-25.82%
Apples (1kg)
$4.48 β‚‘2,115
$7.17 EC$19.36
-37.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 β‚‘765
$1.64 EC$4.44
-1.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.22 β‚‘1,519
$5.71 EC$15.41
-43.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.98 β‚‘1,409
$7.49 EC$20.22
-60.21%
Potato (1kg)
$3.01 β‚‘1,421
$4.25 EC$11.48
-29.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.85 β‚‘1,344
$2.46 EC$6.63
15.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 β‚‘478
$2.05 EC$5.54
-50.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 β‚‘1,185
$1.27 EC$3.43
97.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.94 β‚‘2,333
$7.20 EC$19.45
-31.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.72 β‚‘7,425
$12.35 EC$33.36
27.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 β‚‘1,122
$2.11 EC$5.69
12.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 β‚‘1,281
$4.32 EC$11.67
-37.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 β‚‘445
$1.13 EC$3.06
-16.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.94 β‚‘23.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.79 β‚‘846
$9.44 EC$25.49
-81.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.01 β‚‘949
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.82 β‚‘3,695
$18.29 EC$49.39
-57.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 β‚‘714
$1.52 EC$4.11
-0.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K β‚‘17.4M
$28.2K EC$76.1K
30.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K β‚‘16.4M
$27.6K EC$74.5K
25.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.8 β‚‘41.0K
$104 EC$280
-16.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.69 β‚‘12.1K
$36.73 EC$99.2
-30.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.8 β‚‘25.4K
$43.76 EC$118
22.85%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.9 β‚‘26.4K
$47.36 EC$128
18.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.78 β‚‘13.6K
$37.29 EC$101
-22.82%
Cinema Ticket
$9.04 β‚‘4,271
$7.77 EC$20.98
16.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$560 β‚‘264.6K
$201 EC$541
179.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K β‚‘4.7M
-
-
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.4 β‚‘34.2K
$54.5 EC$147
32.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.4 β‚‘25.7K
$52.6 EC$142
3.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 β‚‘55.2K
$103 EC$277
14.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 β‚‘48.6K
$111 EC$300
-7.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 β‚‘383.2K
$510 EC$1,378
59.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$551 β‚‘260.1K
$385 EC$1,038
43.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,482 β‚‘700.0K
$860 EC$2,323
72.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 β‚‘489.2K
$670 EC$1,810
54.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,301 β‚‘1.1M
$144 EC$389
1495.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,575 β‚‘743.9K
$161 EC$435
877.63%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Costa Rica
Saint Lucia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,030 β‚‘486.5K
$829 EC$2,238
24.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.53
7.75
35.87%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: March 2, 2026

Last update for Saint Lucia: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated January 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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