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 $402 per month in Dominica vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $655 per month in Dominica vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $908 per month in Dominica vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Dominica is roughly 74% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Dominica sits 70% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 EC$20.24

$10.10 ₡4,518

-25.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 EC$150

$60.1 ₡26.9K

-7.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 EC$17.68

$10.12 ₡4,529

-35.28%

Cappuccino

$3.67 EC$9.92

$3.90 ₡1,743

-5.90%

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

$2.48 EC$6.69

$2.20 ₡985

12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 EC$5.64

$1.67 ₡745

25.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 EC$5.10

$3.06 ₡1,371

-38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 EC$9.06

$4.41 ₡1,975

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 EC$7.94

$2.10 ₡939

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 EC$5.28

$3.22 ₡1,441

-39.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 EC$4.08

$2.50 ₡1,118

-39.60%

Eggs

$5.87 EC$15.84

$3.37 ₡1,509

74.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.42 EC$6.55

$9.57 ₡4,279

-74.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 EC$27.76

$9.44 ₡4,224

8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 EC$32.39

$13.43 ₡6,009

-10.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.58 EC$17.77

$4.67 ₡2,090

40.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 EC$6.28

$1.57 ₡701

48.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 EC$11.89

$3.20 ₡1,432

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 EC$13.48

$2.98 ₡1,334

67.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 EC$8.70

$2.98 ₡1,332

8.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 EC$8.18

$2.83 ₡1,268

7.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 EC$5.62

$1.01 ₡453

105.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 EC$6.80

$2.50 ₡1,121

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,277

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 EC$29.66

$16.14 ₡7,219

-31.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 EC$6.81

$2.35 ₡1,050

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 EC$7.92

$2.81 ₡1,258

4.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 EC$1.93

$1.01 ₡453

-28.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.32 EC$87.3

$49.99 ₡22.4K

-35.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 EC$10.05

$1.87 ₡835

98.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.67 EC$9.91

$1.97 ₡880

86.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 EC$27.75

$7.61 ₡3,406

35.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 EC$3.47

$1.44 ₡646

-10.42%

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

$32.7K EC$88.3K

$36.5K ₡16.3M

-10.33%

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

$29.6K EC$79.9K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

-16.42%

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

$139 EC$376

$87.3 ₡39.1K

59.47%

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

$42.48 EC$115

$25.16 ₡11.3K

68.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 EC$170

$53.0 ₡23.7K

18.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.39 EC$117

$57.4 ₡25.7K

-24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 EC$62.6

$28.74 ₡12.9K

-19.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 EC$29.61

$9.04 ₡4,046

21.35%

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

$111 EC$300

$553 ₡247.4K

-79.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,334 EC$9,003

$9,994 ₡4.5M

-66.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 EC$194

$71.6 ₡32.0K

0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 EC$106

$53.2 ₡23.8K

-26.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 EC$265

$119 ₡53.1K

-17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 EC$224

$102 ₡45.7K

-18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 EC$766

$809 ₡361.7K

-64.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 EC$897

$544 ₡243.1K

-38.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 EC$2,703

$1,466 ₡656.0K

-31.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 EC$2,044

$1,018 ₡455.3K

-25.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$102 EC$275

$2,398 ₡1.1M

-95.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$37.35 EC$101

$1,638 ₡732.9K

-97.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$565 EC$1,526

$1,067 ₡477.4K

-47.05%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $126 in Dominica vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $280 in Roseau and $860 in San Jose.

Average salary: $553 in Dominica 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 495% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 168% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 98% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Dominica.

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 157% 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 157% 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.