Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Saint Vincent And The Grenadines

Name: Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Address: VC

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,265 in Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,052 in Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,838 in Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 21% more than Saint Vincent And The Grenadines on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Saint Vincent And The Grenadines is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Costa Rica has a wider regional cost range ($1,165–$2,032) than Saint Vincent And The Grenadines ($1,225–$1,306), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Costa Rica.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₡4,413

$7.39 EC$19.94

31.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡27.2K

$71.1 EC$192

-15.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,398

$10.94 EC$29.54

-11.79%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,817

$3.23 EC$8.73

23.53%

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

$2.18 ₡993

$1.89 EC$5.11

15.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡745

$1.87 EC$5.06

-12.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,387

$1.80 EC$4.87

69.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡2,012

$3.78 EC$10.21

16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡934

$3.34 EC$9.02

-38.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₡1,464

$1.89 EC$5.11

69.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,133

$1.84 EC$4.96

35.33%

Eggs

$3.29 ₡1,497

$4.55 EC$12.29

-27.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 ₡4,148

$13.09 EC$35.34

-30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 ₡4,417

$5.59 EC$15.09

73.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ₡6,010

$13.48 EC$36.40

-2.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,063

$12.58 EC$33.96

-63.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡715

$2.82 EC$7.60

-44.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,460

$9.33 EC$25.19

-65.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₡1,339

$5.98 EC$16.15

-50.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,361

$4.91 EC$13.26

-39.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,235

$3.85 EC$10.38

-29.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡469

$4.54 EC$12.27

-77.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,138

$3.24 EC$8.75

-22.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₡2,300

$4.48 EC$12.10

12.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,372

$16.66 EC$44.98

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,091

$2.45 EC$6.63

-2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,260

$2.82 EC$7.63

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡431

$1.50 EC$4.04

-36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 ₡22.3K

$60.1 EC$162

-18.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡848

$10.99 EC$29.67

-83.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡915

$1.87 EC$5.04

7.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ₡3,532

$36.84 EC$99.5

-78.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡684

$4.28 EC$11.56

-64.95%

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

$36.8K ₡16.8M

$33.0K EC$89.1K

11.49%

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

$35.5K ₡16.2M

$25.5K EC$68.8K

39.12%

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

$87.5 ₡39.8K

$79.9 EC$216

9.56%

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

$25.82 ₡11.8K

$28.82 EC$77.8

-10.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 ₡24.8K

$56.4 EC$152

-3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₡25.7K

$29.44 EC$79.5

91.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 ₡13.3K

$9.43 EC$25.47

208.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ₡4,164

$5.69 EC$15.36

60.63%

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

$555 ₡252.8K

$142 EC$382

291.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,828 ₡4.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 ₡33.7K

$93.4 EC$252

-20.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.7K

$91.0 EC$246

-40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡54.0K

$136 EC$368

-12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡46.5K

$117 EC$315

-12.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ₡374.6K

$405 EC$1,094

102.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₡250.1K

$300 EC$811

82.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 ₡669.1K

$1,556 EC$4,201

-5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ₡466.2K

$589 EC$1,590

73.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 ₡1.1M

$594 EC$1,605

291.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,612 ₡734.5K

$591 EC$1,596

172.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 ₡490.3K

$967 EC$2,612

11.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

9.75

8.00%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Last update for Saint Vincent And The Grenadines: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $318 in Saint Vincent And The Grenadines. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $334 in Kingstown.

Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $1,050 in Saint Vincent And The Grenadines. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 144% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 42% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 515% more expensive in Saint Vincent And The Grenadines.

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 Saint Vincent And The Grenadines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Vincent And The Grenadines is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 26% 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 Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, contributing to the overall 26% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Saint Vincent And The Grenadines 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.