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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $390 per month in Dominica vs $1,543 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $651 per month in Dominica vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $912 per month in Dominica vs $3,105 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Dominica is roughly 75% cheaper than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Dominica sits 71% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.27 EC$19.64

$9.97 ₡4,571

-27.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 EC$149

$59.4 ₡27.2K

-7.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 EC$17.91

$9.74 ₡4,467

-31.93%

Cappuccino

$3.71 EC$10.02

$3.94 ₡1,805

-5.84%

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

$2.37 EC$6.40

$2.11 ₡967

12.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 EC$5.90

$1.65 ₡758

32.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 EC$4.96

$2.92 ₡1,338

-36.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 EC$9.05

$4.39 ₡2,012

-23.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 EC$8.35

$2.07 ₡948

49.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 EC$5.40

$3.17 ₡1,453

-36.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 EC$3.94

$2.41 ₡1,107

-39.42%

Eggs

$5.85 EC$15.79

$3.34 ₡1,530

75.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.38 EC$6.42

$9.24 ₡4,235

-74.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.30 EC$27.80

$9.40 ₡4,310

9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.04 EC$32.52

$13.56 ₡6,217

-11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 EC$17.91

$4.48 ₡2,053

47.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 EC$6.27

$1.56 ₡714

48.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.55 EC$12.27

$3.36 ₡1,539

35.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 EC$13.50

$3.08 ₡1,412

62.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 EC$8.99

$2.89 ₡1,326

15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 EC$7.99

$2.86 ₡1,312

3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 EC$5.55

$1.03 ₡470

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 EC$6.89

$2.52 ₡1,154

1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 ₡2,244

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 EC$30.27

$16.18 ₡7,417

-30.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 EC$6.90

$2.39 ₡1,094

7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 EC$7.87

$2.78 ₡1,274

4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 EC$1.93

$0.94 ₡432

-24.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.96 EC$86.3

$49.22 ₡22.6K

-35.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 EC$9.81

$1.87 ₡855

94.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 EC$9.86

$2.01 ₡923

81.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.42 EC$28.14

$7.61 ₡3,489

36.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 EC$3.66

$1.51 ₡691

-9.93%

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

$33.2K EC$89.6K

$36.3K ₡16.7M

-8.64%

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

$29.5K EC$79.5K

$35.7K ₡16.4M

-17.43%

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

$141 EC$382

$88.7 ₡40.7K

59.42%

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

$41.92 EC$113

$25.67 ₡11.8K

63.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 EC$168

$53.8 ₡24.7K

15.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.72 EC$118

$57.7 ₡26.5K

-24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 EC$63.9

$29.09 ₡13.3K

-18.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 EC$29.44

$9.00 ₡4,127

21.11%

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

$111 EC$299

$544 ₡249.3K

-79.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,291 EC$8,885

$10.0K ₡4.6M

-67.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 EC$194

$74.3 ₡34.0K

-3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 EC$106

$53.2 ₡24.4K

-26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 EC$266

$120 ₡54.9K

-17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 EC$224

$101 ₡46.2K

-17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 EC$744

$798 ₡366.0K

-65.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 EC$909

$534 ₡244.9K

-36.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 EC$2,723

$1,509 ₡691.9K

-33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 EC$2,032

$1,041 ₡477.2K

-27.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$104 EC$281

$2,382 ₡1.1M

-95.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$38.15 EC$103

$1,603 ₡734.6K

-97.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 EC$1,529

$1,062 ₡486.7K

-46.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.6

10.53

-27.83%

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

Last update for Dominica: May 31, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $127 in Dominica vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $281 in Roseau and $879 in San Jose.

Average salary: $553 in Dominica vs $1,098 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 511% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 183% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 99% higher in Costa Rica, giving Dominica 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

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

Dominica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 168% 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 Dominica, contributing to the overall 168% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Dominica, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Dominica 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.