Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Name: U.S. Virgin Islands
Address: VI

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $3,888 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index
188

Cost of Living Index in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Learn more

U.S. Virgin Islands Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$3,888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica and in the U.S. Virgin Islands

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 U.S. Virgin Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $3,888 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
U.S. Virgin Islands $3,888

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $6,705 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
U.S. Virgin Islands $6,705

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $9,522 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
U.S. Virgin Islands $9,522

The regional cost range is wider in the U.S. Virgin Islands ($322–$6,072) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is roughly 53% lower than in the U.S. Virgin Islands on average.

Both Costa Rica and the U.S. Virgin Islands are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, the U.S. Virgin Islands by 186%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,082

$24.67 $24.67

-54.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$147 $147

-62.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,973

$12.19 $12.19

-9.60%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,998

$7.35 $7.35

-39.73%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$3.29 $3.29

-28.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡828

$2.65 $2.65

-30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,472

$6.86 $6.86

-52.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,053

$6.80 $6.80

-33.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,104

$2.84 $2.84

-13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$6.53 $6.53

-45.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$16.17 $16.17

-82.93%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,793

$8.69 $8.69

-54.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,726

$23.69 $23.69

-55.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,505

$25.22 $25.22

-60.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,275

$31.69 $31.69

-56.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,282

$13.54 $13.54

-62.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡763

$7.71 $7.71

-78.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,557

$11.58 $11.58

-70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,459

$13.65 $13.65

-76.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,554

$4.77 $4.77

-27.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$7.61 $7.61

-57.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$5.62 $5.62

-80.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,203

$4.69 $4.69

-43.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,426

$6.88 $6.88

-21.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,993

$23.33 $23.33

-33.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$2.95 $2.95

-6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,488

$6.46 $6.46

-48.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$6.04 $6.04

-81.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$104 $104

-36.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$20.39 $20.39

-89.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡912

$3.06 $3.06

-33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,034

$50.1 $50.1

-82.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.34 $1.34

20.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$50.6K $50.6K

-31.82%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$53.8K $53.8K

-30.57%

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

$94.9 ₡42.8K

$384 $384

-75.31%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$89.3 $89.3

-64.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$86.2 $86.2

-32.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.6K

$154 $154

-57.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,654

$11.93 $11.93

-32.10%

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

$722 ₡325.8K

$1,512 $1,512

-52.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$16.5K $16.5K

-21.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$81.1 $81.1

-6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$70.1 $70.1

-19.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$123 $123

4.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$124 $124

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.2K

$1,679 $1,679

-42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.5K

$1,518 $1,518

-53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.0K

$3,850 $3,850

-54.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.3K

$4,171 $4,171

-70.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$10.3K $10.3K

-74.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡829.7K

$11.0K $11.0K

-83.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.6K

$3,885 $3,885

-72.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

7.72

23.83%

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 U.S. Virgin Islands: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

U.S. Virgin Islands

$1.5K 39.1% 114% $810

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

U.S. Virgin Islands

$896 23.1% 136% $516

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

U.S. Virgin Islands

$394 10.1% 80.3% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

U.S. Virgin Islands

$560 14.4% 203% $375

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

U.S. Virgin Islands

$179 4.6% 8.2% $14

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

U.S. Virgin Islands

$163 4.2% 98.5% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

U.S. Virgin Islands

$177 4.6% 117% $96

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $1,916 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $1,247 in Charlotte Amalie.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $4,193 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 124% higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 144% more in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Salaries are about 3.9 times higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

87,146

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica U.S. Virgin Islands 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
U.S. Virgin Islands

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 U.S. Virgin Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 53% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the U.S. Virgin Islands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,916 versus $855 in Costa Rica.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Costa Rica, adding to the overall 114% price gap.

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.