Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $926 per month in Cuba vs $1,672 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,312 per month in Cuba vs $2,628 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,697 per month in Cuba vs $3,583 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Cuba is roughly 45% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Cuba sits 32% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 CUP 146

$10.99 ₡4,903

-44.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.91 CUP 598

$56.4 ₡25.2K

-55.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 CUP 159

$11.11 ₡4,957

-40.23%

Cappuccino

$1.78 CUP 42.70

$4.57 ₡2,039

-61.05%

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

$1.85 CUP 44.28

$2.36 ₡1,054

-21.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CUP 26.64

$1.94 ₡868

-42.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 CUP 47.64

$3.33 ₡1,486

-40.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CUP 59.2

$4.55 ₡2,030

-45.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.79 CUP 66.9

$2.34 ₡1,043

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 CUP 30.90

$3.64 ₡1,626

-64.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CUP 51.1

$2.67 ₡1,190

-20.22%

Eggs

$3.29 CUP 78.9

$4.05 ₡1,805

-18.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.99 CUP 144

$10.23 ₡4,564

-41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 CUP 123

$10.22 ₡4,560

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 CUP 270

$13.69 ₡6,111

-17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CUP 100

$5.06 ₡2,260

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 CUP 27.10

$1.70 ₡760

-33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 CUP 42.15

$3.51 ₡1,567

-49.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 CUP 44.72

$3.40 ₡1,518

-45.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 CUP 49.11

$3.57 ₡1,592

-42.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 CUP 54.0

$3.15 ₡1,406

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 CUP 23.15

$1.15 ₡515

-16.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CUP 23.11

$2.76 ₡1,232

-65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 CUP 78.9

$5.43 ₡2,423

-39.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 CUP 241

$15.30 ₡6,828

-34.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CUP 43.89

$2.65 ₡1,183

-30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 CUP 50.8

$3.35 ₡1,497

-37.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 CUP 5.50

$1.13 ₡504

-79.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.63 CUP 471

$67.0 ₡29.9K

-70.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 CUP 52.5

$2.32 ₡1,036

-5.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 CUP 10.42

$1.95 ₡870

-77.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 CUP 475

$9.24 ₡4,124

114.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CUP 29.60

$1.55 ₡691

-20.65%

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

$71.2K CUP 1.7M

$32.9K ₡14.7M

116.65%

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

$71.7K CUP 1.7M

$36.4K ₡16.3M

96.88%

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

$37.21 CUP 893

$99.9 ₡44.6K

-62.75%

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

$34.66 CUP 832

$31.66 ₡14.1K

9.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$227 CUP 5,454

$59.8 ₡26.7K

280.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.45 CUP 971

$66.4 ₡29.6K

-39.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 CUP 318

$23.46 ₡10.5K

-43.56%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.57

$8.91 ₡3,977

-89.00%

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

$107 CUP 2,557

$766 ₡341.7K

-86.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CUP 322.2K

$12.6K ₡5.6M

6.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.75 CUP 978

$78.1 ₡34.9K

-47.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 CUP 778

$53.0 ₡23.6K

-38.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 CUP 1,704

$132 ₡58.9K

-46.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 CUP 1,696

$113 ₡50.2K

-37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 CUP 7,938

$891 ₡397.5K

-62.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 CUP 12.3K

$672 ₡300.0K

-23.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 CUP 21.4K

$1,710 ₡763.2K

-47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 CUP 14.7K

$1,177 ₡525.4K

-47.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$360 CUP 8,649

$2,465 ₡1.1M

-85.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$343 CUP 8,243

$1,654 ₡738.2K

-79.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$36.03 CUP 865

$1,104 ₡492.6K

-96.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.38

9.53

-1.57%

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

Last update for Cuba: August 17, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $269 in Cuba vs $817 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $245 in Havana and $930 in San Jose.

Average salary: $36.00 in Cuba vs $1,109 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 204% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 122% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 2981% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Costa Rica.

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

Cuba vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuba is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 101% 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 Cuba, contributing to the overall 101% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cuba, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Cuba 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.