Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,934 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Escazu and in Brisbane

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

A single person spends $1,934 per month in Escazu vs $2,644 in Brisbane, rent included.

Escazu $1,934
Brisbane $2,644

A couple spends around $2,959 per month in Escazu vs $3,821 in Brisbane, rent included.

Escazu $2,959
Brisbane $3,821

A family of three spends $3,984 per month in Escazu vs $4,999 in Brisbane, rent included.

Escazu $3,984
Brisbane $4,999

Escazu is about 27% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Escazu and Brisbane sit above the global median – Escazu by 43%, Brisbane by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.06 ₡5,423

$17.81 A$25.56

-32.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.8K

$85.4 A$123

-27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 ₡5,287

$11.28 A$16.18

4.26%

Cappuccino

$4.49 ₡2,020

$4.45 A$6.38

0.90%

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

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.80 A$4.02

-5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡860

$2.45 A$3.51

-22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,504

$8.60 A$12.34

-61.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,952

$8.36 A$12.00

-48.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,100

$1.76 A$2.52

39.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,389

$2.57 A$3.68

20.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,124

$2.18 A$3.13

14.68%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,550

$4.95 A$7.10

-30.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ₡4,803

$9.58 A$13.74

11.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,621

$9.01 A$12.93

14.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 ₡6,358

$14.00 A$20.09

1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,322

$4.21 A$6.04

22.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$3.18 A$4.56

-50.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,452

$2.79 A$4.01

15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 ₡1,350

$4.83 A$6.93

-37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,702

$2.80 A$4.02

35.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,675

$2.36 A$3.38

58.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₡446

$2.36 A$3.38

-58.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡754

$1.19 A$1.70

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 ₡2,462

$39.08 A$56.1

-85.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₡8,505

$12.84 A$18.41

47.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡754

$5.27 A$7.57

-68.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,245

$4.91 A$7.04

-43.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₡471

$0.36 A$0.52

191.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₡922

$2.61 A$3.74

-21.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ₡834

$1.88 A$2.69

-1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ₡3,636

$41.67 A$59.8

-80.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.48 A$2.12

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

$28.0K ₡12.6M

$29.0K A$41.6K

-3.63%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$25.9K A$37.2K

41.14%

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

$94.5 ₡42.5K

$160 A$229

-40.83%

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

$29.94 ₡13.5K

$26.65 A$38.24

12.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$61.2 A$87.9

-4.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 ₡47.3K

$61.1 A$87.6

72.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 ₡4,411

$22.66 A$32.50

-56.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 ₡3,445

$14.15 A$20.30

-45.87%

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

$458 ₡206.0K

$1,982 A$2,843

-76.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$26.8K A$38.5K

-35.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 ₡32.3K

$85.1 A$122

-15.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$46.37 A$66.5

18.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.3K

$111 A$159

14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.6K

$110 A$157

21.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 ₡389.1K

$1,957 A$2,808

-55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 ₡381.2K

$1,441 A$2,068

-41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 ₡867.0K

$3,481 A$4,994

-44.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 ₡674.7K

$2,234 A$3,205

-32.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₡630.9K

$9,571 A$13.7K

-85.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 ₡435.8K

$6,938 A$9,954

-86.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,792 ₡805.4K

$4,134 A$5,932

-56.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.84

47.60%

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

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$848 43.9%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 70% $593

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$363 18.8%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 0.3% $1.3

Eating Out

Escazu

$229 11.9%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 35.3% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$183 9.5%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 35.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Brisbane

$158 6% 9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$121 6.2%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 25.9% $31

Getting Around

Escazu

$16 * 0.8%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 124% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $866 in Escazu versus $1,957 in Brisbane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brisbane are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Escazu versus $85 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Escazu vs $362 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

22:02 10:02 PM

16 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.697 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.622 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Escazu Brisbane 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
Brisbane

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

Escazu vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 37% more than Escazu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,900 per month in Escazu and $3,965 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Escazu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $866 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,934 in Escazu and $2,644 in Brisbane. That makes Escazu about 27% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Escazu and $85 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Escazu, where all-in costs run around $1,934, than in Brisbane at $2,644. In Escazu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Escazu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.