Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,933 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Escazu and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Escazu versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Escazu $1,933
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Escazu versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Escazu $2,966
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,999 in Escazu versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Escazu $3,999
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Escazu costs roughly 49% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 43% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 ₡5,486

$25.32 $25.32

-51.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 ₡27.9K

$101 $101

-38.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 ₡5,146

$14.85 $14.85

-22.69%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,045

$6.59 $6.59

-30.80%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$3.22 $3.22

-15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡828

$3.14 $3.14

-41.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,505

$8.18 $8.18

-58.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,006

$8.03 $8.03

-44.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,040

$1.21 $1.21

91.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,397

$5.12 $5.12

-39.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,117

$6.30 $6.30

-60.48%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.90 $4.90

-26.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,757

$19.10 $19.10

-44.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,581

$18.50 $18.50

-44.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,252

$23.03 $23.03

-39.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 ₡2,301

$5.81 $5.81

-11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡726

$1.95 $1.95

-16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 ₡1,416

$5.29 $5.29

-40.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,378

$6.48 $6.48

-52.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,698

$3.57 $3.57

6.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$3.15 $3.15

18.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡465

$2.85 $2.85

-63.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡762

$2.42 $2.42

-29.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 ₡2,479

$12.75 $12.75

-56.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 ₡8,249

$14.99 $14.99

22.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$4.17 $4.17

-60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,202

$5.99 $5.99

-55.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡491

$3.04 $3.04

-64.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡923

$2.55 $2.55

-19.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.64 $1.64

-4.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,927

$29.58 $29.58

-70.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.42 $1.42

4.23%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$35.7K $35.7K

-37.29%

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

$35.2K ₡15.8M

$25.6K $25.6K

37.65%

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

$94.6 ₡42.4K

$299 $299

-68.38%

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

$29.81 ₡13.4K

$70.8 $70.8

-57.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡27.0K

$88.3 $88.3

-31.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 ₡48.6K

$79.5 $79.5

36.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₡4,550

$35.37 $35.37

-71.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,502

$17.12 $17.12

-54.38%

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

$457 ₡204.9K

$3,013 $3,013

-84.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$31.6K $31.6K

-46.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$77.2 $77.2

-8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$55.1 $55.1

1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$126 $126

4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.4K

$163 $163

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 ₡373.9K

$2,464 $2,464

-66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ₡378.8K

$1,956 $1,956

-56.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 ₡879.3K

$4,711 $4,711

-58.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡676.4K

$3,550 $3,550

-57.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,407 ₡630.8K

$7,346 $7,346

-80.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 ₡435.7K

$5,048 $5,048

-80.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 ₡782.8K

$6,286 $6,286

-72.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.85

25.84%

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

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$845 43.7%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 132% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$361 18.7%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 50.2% $181

Eating Out

Escazu

$231 12%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 76.9% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$184 9.5%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 148% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 8.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$124 6.4%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 8.3% $10

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 831% $119

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Escazu and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 260% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Escazu vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $542 per month, with Escazu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

1 h behind Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

737,015

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Escazu Seattle, WA 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 260% lower in Seattle, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $834 in Escazu versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,933 per month in Escazu versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,933 in Escazu versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Escazu but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Escazu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Escazu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Escazu and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Escazu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.