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 $397 per month in Dominica vs $1,533 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $654 per month in Dominica vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $910 per month in Dominica vs $3,106 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Dominica is roughly 74% 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 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Dominica has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,240) than Costa Rica ($1,126–$2,034), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Dominica.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 EC$19.72

$9.74 ₡4,452

-25.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 EC$147

$60.5 ₡27.6K

-9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 EC$18.12

$9.92 ₡4,530

-32.36%

Cappuccino

$3.66 EC$9.89

$4.04 ₡1,848

-9.41%

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

$2.47 EC$6.68

$2.12 ₡969

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 EC$5.71

$1.64 ₡749

28.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 EC$5.06

$2.92 ₡1,332

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 EC$9.07

$4.46 ₡2,036

-24.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 EC$8.32

$2.09 ₡953

47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 EC$5.29

$3.18 ₡1,453

-38.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 EC$3.97

$2.41 ₡1,099

-39.00%

Eggs

$5.71 EC$15.41

$3.43 ₡1,567

66.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.47 EC$6.66

$9.52 ₡4,349

-74.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 EC$27.88

$9.22 ₡4,213

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 EC$32.57

$13.22 ₡6,041

-8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 EC$18.26

$4.70 ₡2,149

43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 EC$6.50

$1.56 ₡712

54.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 EC$11.95

$3.35 ₡1,528

32.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 EC$13.15

$3.00 ₡1,371

62.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 EC$8.71

$2.93 ₡1,337

10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 EC$8.22

$2.71 ₡1,240

12.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 EC$5.44

$1.02 ₡464

98.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 EC$6.78

$2.42 ₡1,106

3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.01 ₡2,288

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 EC$30.22

$16.31 ₡7,448

-31.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 EC$6.91

$2.31 ₡1,053

10.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 EC$7.92

$2.85 ₡1,300

2.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 EC$1.94

$0.94 ₡431

-23.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.74 EC$88.4

$49.31 ₡22.5K

-33.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 EC$10.15

$1.81 ₡825

107.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 EC$10.14

$2.00 ₡913

88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 EC$27.16

$7.43 ₡3,396

35.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 EC$3.48

$1.45 ₡662

-11.03%

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

$33.2K EC$89.8K

$36.3K ₡16.6M

-8.40%

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

$29.6K EC$79.9K

$34.8K ₡15.9M

-14.98%

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

$139 EC$375

$88.1 ₡40.2K

57.91%

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

$42.62 EC$115

$25.36 ₡11.6K

68.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 EC$164

$54.1 ₡24.7K

12.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.35 EC$117

$57.7 ₡26.4K

-24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.32 EC$63.0

$29.04 ₡13.3K

-19.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 EC$30.52

$9.05 ₡4,134

24.86%

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

$111 EC$301

$550 ₡251.1K

-79.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,340 EC$9,018

$10.2K ₡4.7M

-67.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 EC$192

$71.5 ₡32.7K

-0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 EC$104

$53.9 ₡24.6K

-28.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 EC$265

$121 ₡55.1K

-18.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 EC$229

$101 ₡46.2K

-16.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 EC$763

$812 ₡371.2K

-65.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 EC$918

$553 ₡252.8K

-38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 EC$2,761

$1,493 ₡681.8K

-31.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 EC$2,056

$1,057 ₡483.1K

-28.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$104 EC$282

$2,263 ₡1.0M

-95.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$37.79 EC$102

$1,634 ₡746.5K

-97.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$572 EC$1,545

$1,067 ₡487.3K

-46.35%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $129 in Dominica vs $778 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $281 in Roseau and $885 in San Jose.

Average salary: $555 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 503% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 168% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 160% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 97% 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 155% 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 155% 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.