Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Desamparados and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Desamparados: $1,692 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $38,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,692

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Desamparados and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Desamparados and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Desamparados vs $4,906 in New York, NY, rent included.

Desamparados $1,692
New York, NY $4,906

A couple spends around $2,664 per month in Desamparados vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Desamparados $2,664
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $3,636 per month in Desamparados vs $9,641 in New York, NY, rent included.

Desamparados $3,636
New York, NY $9,641

Desamparados is about 66% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Desamparados and New York, NY sit above the global median – Desamparados by 25%, New York, NY by 263%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.32 ₡5,538

$26.93 $26.93

-54.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 ₡26.4K

$117 $117

-49.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 ₡5,200

$14.60 $14.60

-20.82%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,935

$6.54 $6.54

-34.25%

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

$2.66 ₡1,195

$3.86 $3.86

-31.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡863

$2.95 $2.95

-34.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₡1,449

$8.08 $8.08

-60.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ₡1,954

$9.85 $9.85

-55.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.31 $1.31

79.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 ₡1,243

$4.97 $4.97

-44.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,124

$7.70 $7.70

-67.53%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$6.09 $6.09

-41.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ₡4,885

$19.55 $19.55

-44.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,623

$17.59 $17.59

-41.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 ₡6,382

$20.26 $20.26

-29.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 ₡2,347

$6.99 $6.99

-25.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡716

$2.21 $2.21

-28.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₡1,473

$6.72 $6.72

-51.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,548

$7.12 $7.12

-51.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 ₡1,395

$4.61 $4.61

-32.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,452

$4.78 $4.78

-32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₡470

$2.87 $2.87

-63.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,219

$2.69 $2.69

0.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,504

$19.14 $19.14

-70.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 ₡7,524

$19.63 $19.63

-14.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₡1,168

$3.32 $3.32

-21.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₡1,233

$4.19 $4.19

-34.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡586

$3.02 $3.02

-56.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,122

$3.04 $3.04

-17.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡694

$2.20 $2.20

-30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,917

$41.33 $41.33

-78.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.13 $1.13

34.51%

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

$33.7K ₡15.1M

$34.5K $34.5K

-2.24%

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

$42.4K ₡19.1M

$25.8K $25.8K

64.16%

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

$93.1 ₡41.8K

$232 $232

-59.95%

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

$29.52 ₡13.3K

$71.0 $71.0

-58.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 ₡26.5K

$67.7 $67.7

-12.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.0K

$115 $115

-40.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 ₡3,367

$22.41 $22.41

-66.58%

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

$845 ₡379.9K

$3,606 $3,606

-76.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$68.7K $68.7K

-75.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.4K

$79.3 $79.3

-9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$51.4 $51.4

7.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.1K

$121 $121

4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$140 $140

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.6K

$4,555 $4,555

-82.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 ₡286.1K

$3,040 $3,040

-79.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 ₡844.0K

$9,742 $9,742

-80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₡557.5K

$5,331 $5,331

-76.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.89

25.11%

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

Last update for Desamparados: November 1, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Desamparados

$636 37.6%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 378% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

Desamparados

$372 22%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 52.3% $195

Eating Out

Desamparados

$228 13.5%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 86.4% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Desamparados

$181 10.7%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 105% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Desamparados

$175 10.3%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 1.1% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Desamparados

$84 5%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 90.7% $76

Getting Around

Desamparados

$15 * 0.9%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 972% $150

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $800 in Desamparados versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Desamparados versus $117 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $567 – making Desamparados the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

17:11 5:11 PM

1 h ahead of Desamparados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Desamparados New York, NY 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Desamparados
New York, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Desamparados vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Desamparados, $4,906 in New York, NY – Desamparados comes out roughly 66% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Desamparados and $7,358 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Desamparados, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $800 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Desamparados and $117 in New York, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Desamparados, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In Desamparados it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Desamparados – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.