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 $624 per month in Curacao vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $943 per month in Curacao vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,262 per month in Curacao vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Curacao is roughly 59% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Curacao sits 53% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.64 ANG 27.91

$10.10 ₡4,505

54.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 ANG 142

$60.1 ₡26.8K

31.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 ANG 18.17

$10.12 ₡4,516

0.59%

Cappuccino

$3.74 ANG 6.67

$3.90 ₡1,738

-4.10%

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

$2.91 ANG 5.19

$2.20 ₡982

32.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ANG 3.03

$1.67 ₡743

1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 ANG 10.46

$3.06 ₡1,367

91.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.05 ANG 9.02

$4.41 ₡1,969

14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ANG 3.04

$2.10 ₡937

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 ANG 4.21

$3.22 ₡1,437

-26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 ANG 4.80

$2.50 ₡1,115

7.60%

Eggs

$3.62 ANG 6.45

$3.37 ₡1,505

7.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 ANG 17.35

$9.57 ₡4,268

1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 ANG 13.72

$9.44 ₡4,212

-18.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 ANG 17.71

$13.43 ₡5,992

-26.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ANG 9.03

$4.67 ₡2,084

8.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.35 ANG 5.99

$1.57 ₡700

113.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 ANG 5.51

$3.20 ₡1,428

-3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 ANG 7.83

$2.98 ₡1,330

47.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 ANG 5.24

$2.98 ₡1,329

-1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 ANG 5.13

$2.83 ₡1,264

1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 ANG 4.08

$1.01 ₡452

125.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 ANG 3.71

$2.50 ₡1,117

-16.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.51 ANG 15.20

$5.09 ₡2,270

67.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ANG 21.66

$16.14 ₡7,200

-24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ANG 4.63

$2.35 ₡1,047

10.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 ANG 5.90

$2.81 ₡1,255

17.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 ANG 3.02

$1.01 ₡452

67.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.99 ₡22.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$24.96 ANG 44.55

$1.87 ₡833

1234.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 ANG 4.73

$1.97 ₡877

34.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.45 ANG 88.3

$7.61 ₡3,397

549.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ANG 2.37

$1.44 ₡645

-7.64%

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

$36.5K ₡16.3M

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

$19.5K ANG 34.7K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

-45.05%

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

$232 ANG 415

$87.3 ₡38.9K

165.96%

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

$80.0 ANG 143

$25.16 ₡11.2K

217.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 ANG 121

$53.0 ₡23.7K

27.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ANG 100

$57.4 ₡25.6K

-2.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$64.9 ANG 116

$28.74 ₡12.8K

125.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.71 ANG 15.54

$9.04 ₡4,035

-3.65%

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

$278 ANG 496

$553 ₡246.7K

-49.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,588 ANG 17.1K

$9,994 ₡4.5M

-4.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 ANG 160

$71.6 ₡32.0K

25.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.3 ANG 161

$53.2 ₡23.7K

69.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ANG 255

$119 ₡53.0K

20.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ANG 195

$102 ₡45.6K

6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 ANG 1,409

$809 ₡360.7K

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ANG 1,027

$544 ₡242.5K

5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 ANG 3,126

$1,466 ₡654.2K

19.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 ANG 2,070

$1,018 ₡454.0K

13.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$845 ANG 1,509

$2,398 ₡1.1M

-64.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$170 ANG 303

$1,638 ₡730.9K

-89.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 ANG 2,285

$1,067 ₡476.1K

19.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.19

10.53

-50.71%

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

Last update for Curacao: July 11, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $181 in Curacao vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $724 in Willemstad and $860 in San Jose.

Average salary: $1,278 in Curacao vs $1,096 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 183% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 17% 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 76% 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 76% 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.