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 $958 per month in Cuba vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,311 per month in Cuba vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,664 per month in Cuba vs $3,104 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Cuba is roughly 38% cheaper than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Cuba sits 28% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Cuba has a wider regional cost range ($22.00–$1,578) than Costa Rica ($1,165–$2,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Cuba.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 CUP 145

$9.69 ₡4,413

-37.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.51 CUP 588

$59.8 ₡27.2K

-59.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 CUP 163

$9.65 ₡4,398

-29.74%

Cappuccino

$1.65 CUP 39.56

$3.99 ₡1,817

-58.65%

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

$1.98 CUP 47.51

$2.18 ₡993

-9.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CUP 29.37

$1.64 ₡745

-25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.18

$3.05 ₡1,387

-35.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CUP 57.6

$4.42 ₡2,012

-45.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 CUP 69.8

$2.05 ₡934

41.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 CUP 27.08

$3.21 ₡1,464

-64.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 CUP 48.11

$2.49 ₡1,133

-19.68%

Eggs

$3.03 CUP 72.7

$3.29 ₡1,497

-7.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 CUP 139

$9.11 ₡4,148

-36.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 CUP 126

$9.70 ₡4,417

-45.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 CUP 263

$13.19 ₡6,010

-16.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 CUP 109

$4.53 ₡2,063

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 CUP 27.35

$1.57 ₡715

-27.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 CUP 37.55

$3.20 ₡1,460

-51.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 CUP 38.93

$2.94 ₡1,339

-44.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CUP 43.74

$2.99 ₡1,361

-39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 CUP 57.6

$2.71 ₡1,235

-11.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 CUP 20.91

$1.03 ₡469

-15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CUP 25.43

$2.50 ₡1,138

-57.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 CUP 82.8

$5.05 ₡2,300

-31.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 CUP 244

$16.18 ₡7,372

-37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CUP 47.43

$2.39 ₡1,091

-17.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CUP 51.4

$2.77 ₡1,260

-22.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 CUP 4.70

$0.95 ₡431

-78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.67 CUP 544

$48.97 ₡22.3K

-53.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 CUP 52.6

$1.86 ₡848

17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 CUP 11.67

$2.01 ₡915

-75.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.92 CUP 478

$7.75 ₡3,532

157.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CUP 29.52

$1.50 ₡684

-18.00%

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

$71.1K CUP 1.7M

$36.8K ₡16.8M

93.27%

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

$75.5K CUP 1.8M

$35.5K ₡16.2M

112.90%

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

$36.93 CUP 886

$87.5 ₡39.8K

-57.78%

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

$35.56 CUP 853

$25.82 ₡11.8K

37.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$229 CUP 5,506

$54.5 ₡24.8K

320.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.18 CUP 844

$56.4 ₡25.7K

-37.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 CUP 287

$29.13 ₡13.3K

-58.87%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.69

$9.14 ₡4,164

-88.73%

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

$110 CUP 2,652

$555 ₡252.8K

-80.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CUP 321.6K

$9,828 ₡4.5M

36.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.82 CUP 932

$73.9 ₡33.7K

-47.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.91 CUP 766

$54.2 ₡24.7K

-41.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 CUP 1,659

$119 ₡54.0K

-41.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.1 CUP 1,682

$102 ₡46.5K

-31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 CUP 8,155

$822 ₡374.6K

-58.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 CUP 12.7K

$549 ₡250.1K

-3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 CUP 21.3K

$1,469 ₡669.1K

-39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 CUP 15.0K

$1,023 ₡466.2K

-38.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$369 CUP 8,846

$2,327 ₡1.1M

-84.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$339 CUP 8,128

$1,612 ₡734.5K

-79.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$37.26 CUP 894

$1,076 ₡490.3K

-96.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.96

10.53

-14.91%

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

Last update for Cuba: April 27, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $270 in Cuba vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $361 in Havana and $872 in San Jose.

Average salary: $36.00 in Cuba vs $1,110 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 187% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 122% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 15% more expensive in Cuba.

Salaries are 2983% higher in Costa Rica, giving Costa Rica stronger purchasing power.

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 100% 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 100% 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.