Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Sint Maarten

Name: Sint Maarten
Address: SX

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $3,791 in Sint Maarten, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Sint Maarten
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Sint Maarten Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in Sint Maarten

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 Sint Maarten actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,791 in Sint Maarten, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
Sint Maarten $3,791

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $6,693 in Sint Maarten, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
Sint Maarten $6,693

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $9,595 in Sint Maarten, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
Sint Maarten $9,595

The regional cost range is wider in Sint Maarten ($2,291–$3,850) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 52% lower than in Sint Maarten on average.

Both Costa Rica and Sint Maarten are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, Sint Maarten by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$17.29 ANG 30.94

-34.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$73.7 ANG 132

-26.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$10.04 ANG 17.98

9.76%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$4.59 ANG 8.22

-3.49%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$3.06 ANG 5.47

-23.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$3.52 ANG 6.31

-47.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$4.07 ANG 7.29

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$5.46 ANG 9.77

-16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$3.58 ANG 6.42

-31.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$2.73 ANG 4.89

30.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$3.07 ANG 5.50

-10.10%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$5.17 ANG 9.26

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$20.47 ANG 36.65

-48.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$14.53 ANG 26.00

-31.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$16.11 ANG 28.83

-13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$5.27 ANG 9.43

-3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$5.13 ANG 9.17

-67.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$8.86 ANG 15.87

-61.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$7.36 ANG 13.17

-56.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$4.25 ANG 7.61

-19.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$3.70 ANG 6.62

-12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$3.94 ANG 7.06

-72.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$1.38 ANG 2.47

93.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$7.92 ANG 14.18

-32.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$11.19 ANG 20.03

38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$5.13 ANG 9.18

-46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$1.79 ANG 3.21

84.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$3.03 ANG 5.42

-62.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$1.54 ANG 2.76

4155.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$20.09 ANG 35.96

-89.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.32 ANG 2.36

21.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

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

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$392 ANG 701

-75.77%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$37.70 ANG 67.5

-16.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$77.5 ANG 139

-24.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$65.9 ANG 118

-0.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$9.15 ANG 16.38

-11.48%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

$582 ANG 1,041

24.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$11.9K ANG 21.3K

8.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$50.8 ANG 91.0

48.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$40.58 ANG 72.6

39.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$101 ANG 181

26.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$59.3 ANG 106

82.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$2,277 ANG 4,075

-57.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$2,260 ANG 4,045

-68.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$6,574 ANG 11.8K

-73.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$6,431 ANG 11.5K

-81.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

-84.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$1,833 ANG 3,280

-42.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

91.20%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sint Maarten: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

Sint Maarten

$2.3K 59.6% 219% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

Sint Maarten

$512 13.5% 34.7% $132

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

Sint Maarten

$281 7.4% 28.7% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

Sint Maarten

$507 13.4% 174% $322

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

Sint Maarten

$113 3% 31.6% $52

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Sint Maarten

$34 * 0.9% 59% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

Sint Maarten

$84 2.2% 2.9% $2.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $2,231 in Sint Maarten. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $2,126 in Philipsburg.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $2,053 in Sint Maarten. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 161% higher in Sint Maarten.

Dining out costs 85% more in Sint Maarten.

Public transport is 3250% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 89% higher in Sint Maarten.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

10:01 10:01 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

43,847

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.501 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2 ANG (1 ANG = 0.501 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica Sint Maarten 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
Sint Maarten

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 Sint Maarten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 52% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Sint Maarten: a central one-bedroom averages $2,231 versus $855 in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.