Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in the United Kingdom

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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
United Kingdom $2,462

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,600 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
United Kingdom $3,600

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $4,738 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
United Kingdom $4,738

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 26% lower than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both Costa Rica and the United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, the United Kingdom by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,082

$21.48 £16.15

-47.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$85.7 £64.4

-36.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,973

$10.61 £7.98

3.86%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,998

$4.91 £3.69

-9.78%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$2.66 £2.00

-12.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡828

$1.87 £1.40

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,472

$6.63 £4.98

-50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,053

$6.84 £5.14

-33.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$1.68 £1.26

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$1.72 £1.29

106.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$2.17 £1.63

27.19%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,793

$4.00 £3.01

-0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,726

$9.42 £7.08

11.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,505

$9.19 £6.90

8.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,275

$14.77 £11.10

-5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,282

$2.97 £2.23

70.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡763

$1.62 £1.22

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,557

$2.85 £2.15

21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,459

$3.52 £2.65

-8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,554

$1.83 £1.38

87.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$1.61 £1.21

101.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$1.25 £0.94

-12.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,203

$1.66 £1.25

60.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,426

$23.65 £17.77

-77.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,993

$10.50 £7.89

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.98 £2.24

-7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,488

$3.51 £2.64

-5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$3.98 £2.99

-71.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$107 £80.7

-39.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$5.18 £3.89

-58.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡912

$2.35 £1.76

-14.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,034

$26.84 £20.17

-66.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.99 £1.49

-19.10%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$39.4K £29.6K

-12.56%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$40.5K £30.4K

-7.72%

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

$94.9 ₡42.8K

$327 £246

-70.98%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$18.21 £13.69

72.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$43.60 £32.77

34.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.6K

$42.36 £31.83

55.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$18.22 £13.69

21.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,654

$13.85 £10.41

-41.52%

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

$722 ₡325.8K

$1,868 £1,404

-61.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$22.6K £17.0K

-42.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$92.9 £69.8

-18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$45.92 £34.51

22.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$102 £76.4

26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$102 £76.8

5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.2K

$1,342 £1,009

-28.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.5K

$1,073 £807

-34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.0K

$2,231 £1,677

-21.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.3K

$1,742 £1,309

-30.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$5,601 £4,210

-52.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡829.7K

$4,265 £3,205

-56.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.6K

$3,349 £2,517

-68.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

5.32

79.70%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6% 51.6% $365

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

United Kingdom

$307 12.5% 19.1% $73

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

United Kingdom

$328 13.3% 50% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

United Kingdom

$389 15.8% 110% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

United Kingdom

$154 6.3% 6.9% $11

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

United Kingdom

$140 5.7% 70.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

United Kingdom

$70 2.9% 14.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $1,287 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $2,811 in London.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $3,251 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 54% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 51% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 3 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

09:45 9:45 AM

6 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

67,326,569

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.752 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Rica United Kingdom 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 26% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 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.