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 $1,310 per month in Cuba vs $2,325 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Cuba vs $3,113 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 29% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Cuba has a wider regional cost range ($23.00–$1,579) than Costa Rica ($1,141–$2,107), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Cuba.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 CUP 140

$9.92 ₡4,484

-41.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.21 CUP 605

$60.2 ₡27.2K

-58.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 CUP 164

$9.80 ₡4,429

-30.51%

Cappuccino

$1.61 CUP 38.66

$4.11 ₡1,859

-60.83%

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

$1.97 CUP 47.37

$2.10 ₡951

-6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CUP 29.46

$1.70 ₡770

-27.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 CUP 48.50

$3.01 ₡1,359

-32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CUP 60.5

$4.39 ₡1,986

-42.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CUP 70.7

$2.01 ₡909

46.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 CUP 27.25

$3.10 ₡1,401

-63.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.24

$2.45 ₡1,105

-17.96%

Eggs

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$3.37 ₡1,524

-9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.87 CUP 141

$9.13 ₡4,127

-35.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 CUP 131

$9.46 ₡4,275

-42.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 CUP 266

$13.21 ₡5,970

-16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 CUP 107

$4.54 ₡2,052

-2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CUP 28.39

$1.61 ₡729

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 CUP 37.39

$3.19 ₡1,440

-51.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 CUP 38.69

$3.07 ₡1,387

-47.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 CUP 41.82

$2.98 ₡1,346

-41.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CUP 59.8

$2.72 ₡1,228

-8.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 CUP 21.28

$1.01 ₡458

-11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.56

$2.44 ₡1,102

-58.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 CUP 86.0

$5.04 ₡2,277

-28.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CUP 239

$15.95 ₡7,205

-37.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 48.87

$2.35 ₡1,063

-13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CUP 48.85

$2.72 ₡1,228

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 CUP 4.83

$0.97 ₡438

-79.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 CUP 532

$49.77 ₡22.5K

-55.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 CUP 49.99

$1.89 ₡855

10.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 CUP 12.38

$1.94 ₡879

-73.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 CUP 487

$7.78 ₡3,513

160.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CUP 29.25

$1.51 ₡683

-19.21%

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

$69.5K CUP 1.7M

$37.3K ₡16.9M

85.99%

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

$76.6K CUP 1.8M

$35.7K ₡16.1M

114.47%

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

$37.07 CUP 890

$86.7 ₡39.2K

-57.25%

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

$35.07 CUP 842

$25.28 ₡11.4K

38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 CUP 5,482

$54.7 ₡24.7K

317.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 CUP 848

$57.8 ₡26.1K

-38.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.44 CUP 298

$29.25 ₡13.2K

-57.47%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.64

$9.10 ₡4,112

-89.23%

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

$107 CUP 2,566

$542 ₡244.9K

-80.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CUP 322.8K

$10.0K ₡4.5M

34.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.91 CUP 910

$73.6 ₡33.3K

-48.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.22 CUP 773

$54.3 ₡24.5K

-40.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 CUP 1,677

$119 ₡53.9K

-41.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 CUP 1,711

$104 ₡46.9K

-31.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 CUP 8,164

$799 ₡360.9K

-57.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 CUP 12.6K

$545 ₡246.3K

-3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 CUP 21.8K

$1,482 ₡669.5K

-38.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 CUP 15.1K

$1,037 ₡468.4K

-39.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$359 CUP 8,628

$2,403 ₡1.1M

-85.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$333 CUP 7,991

$1,603 ₡724.1K

-79.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$36.29 CUP 871

$1,079 ₡487.7K

-96.64%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $269 in Cuba vs $777 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $365 in Havana and $880 in San Jose.

Average salary: $36.00 in Cuba vs $1,089 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 189% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 126% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 15% more expensive in Cuba.

Salaries are 2925% 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 103% 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 103% 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.