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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $991 per month in Curacao vs $1,674 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,498 per month in Curacao vs $2,639 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,004 per month in Curacao vs $3,604 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Curacao is roughly 41% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Curacao sits 28% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 ANG 32.35

$11.02 ₡4,910

64.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 ANG 146

$55.4 ₡24.7K

47.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 ANG 19.70

$11.02 ₡4,909

0.18%

Cappuccino

$3.74 ANG 6.68

$4.45 ₡1,982

-15.96%

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

$3.25 ANG 5.80

$2.47 ₡1,099

31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ANG 3.57

$1.96 ₡874

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 ANG 10.48

$3.32 ₡1,479

76.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 ANG 9.14

$4.41 ₡1,967

16.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ANG 3.59

$2.47 ₡1,103

-18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 ANG 5.11

$3.58 ₡1,597

-20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 ANG 6.27

$2.68 ₡1,194

30.97%

Eggs

$3.89 ANG 6.95

$4.09 ₡1,824

-4.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 ANG 30.06

$9.90 ₡4,412

70.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 ANG 12.87

$10.29 ₡4,585

-29.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.89 ANG 21.23

$14.19 ₡6,321

-16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 ANG 9.67

$4.99 ₡2,225

8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 ANG 5.50

$1.79 ₡798

72.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 ANG 5.87

$3.63 ₡1,615

-9.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 ANG 6.92

$3.45 ₡1,536

12.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 ANG 4.53

$3.38 ₡1,508

-24.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 ANG 3.65

$3.09 ₡1,378

-33.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 ANG 4.27

$1.15 ₡511

107.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 ANG 5.25

$2.86 ₡1,273

2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 ANG 17.80

$5.42 ₡2,416

83.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 ANG 21.73

$15.44 ₡6,880

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ANG 4.34

$2.70 ₡1,204

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 ANG 4.32

$3.41 ₡1,519

-29.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 ANG 3.59

$1.13 ₡502

77.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡29.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 ANG 39.32

$2.22 ₡991

892.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 ₡885

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 ₡3,992

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ANG 2.28

$1.58 ₡703

-18.99%

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

$33.6K ₡15.0M

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

$20.4K ANG 36.4K

$37.0K ₡16.5M

-44.96%

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

$256 ANG 457

$97.1 ₡43.3K

163.51%

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

$74.9 ANG 134

$31.32 ₡14.0K

139.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 ANG 123

$59.7 ₡26.6K

15.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.11 ANG 87.7

$65.5 ₡29.2K

-25.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.49 ANG 79.4

$23.48 ₡10.5K

89.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 ANG 21.50

$8.59 ₡3,826

40.28%

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

$322 ANG 575

$748 ₡333.3K

-56.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ANG 22.3K

$12.6K ₡5.6M

-1.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ANG 182

$75.6 ₡33.7K

35.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.2 ANG 129

$54.1 ₡24.1K

33.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 ANG 291

$129 ₡57.7K

26.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 ANG 169

$113 ₡50.5K

-16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 ANG 1,432

$875 ₡390.0K

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 ANG 1,182

$661 ₡294.7K

0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 ANG 3,042

$1,772 ₡789.7K

-3.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 ANG 2,206

$1,205 ₡536.7K

2.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$834 ANG 1,489

$2,413 ₡1.1M

-65.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$170 ANG 303

$1,634 ₡728.0K

-89.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,238 ANG 2,210

$1,078 ₡480.2K

14.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.97

9.56

-48.01%

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

Last update for Curacao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $198 in Curacao vs $820 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $792 in Willemstad and $931 in San Jose.

Average salary: $1,255 in Curacao vs $1,106 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 314% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 26% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 13% higher in Curacao, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Curacao.

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

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

Curacao is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 54% 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 Curacao, contributing to the overall 54% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Curacao, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Curacao 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.