For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $3,101 in Greenland, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Greenland and in Costa Rica
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Greenland and in Costa Rica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $3,101 per month in Greenland vs $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent included.
Greenland $3,101
Costa Rica $1,821
A couple spends around $4,562 per month in Greenland vs $2,773 in Costa Rica, rent included.
Greenland $4,562
Costa Rica $2,773
A family of three spends $6,023 per month in Greenland vs $3,725 in Costa Rica, rent included.
Greenland $6,023
Costa Rica $3,725
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Greenland ($20–$3,285) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Greenland is about 70% higher than in Costa Rica on average.
📊
Both Greenland and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Greenland by 128%, Costa Rica by 34%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.69DKK 119
$11.26₡5,082
57.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$107DKK 717
$54.5₡24.6K
95.84%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$14.84DKK 99.7
$11.02₡4,973
34.66%
Cappuccino
$5.74DKK 38.54
$4.43₡1,998
29.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72DKK 18.29
$2.34₡1,055
16.24%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82DKK 18.91
$1.84₡828
53.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$10.33DKK 69.4
$3.26₡1,472
216.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.83DKK 52.6
$4.55₡2,053
72.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.69DKK 18.03
$2.45₡1,104
9.80%
White Bread(500g)
$4.19DKK 28.14
$3.56₡1,608
17.70%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.49DKK 30.18
$2.76₡1,245
62.68%
Eggs
$5.62DKK 37.71
$3.97₡1,793
41.56%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$37.05DKK 249
$10.47₡4,726
253.87%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$26.96DKK 181
$9.98₡4,505
170.14%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$24.52DKK 165
$13.91₡6,275
76.28%
Apples(1kg)
$5.33DKK 35.77
$5.06₡2,282
5.34%
Banana(1kg)
$4.48DKK 30.11
$1.69₡763
165.09%
Oranges(1kg)
$5.30DKK 35.56
$3.45₡1,557
53.62%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.39DKK 29.50
$3.23₡1,459
35.91%
Potato(1kg)
$3.85DKK 25.88
$3.44₡1,554
11.92%
Onion(1kg)
$4.27DKK 28.69
$3.25₡1,465
31.38%
Lettuce(1 head)
$6.23DKK 41.85
$1.09₡492
471.56%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$3.02DKK 20.30
$2.67₡1,203
13.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.38DKK 89.9
$5.38₡2,426
148.70%
Wine(Bottle)
$22.11DKK 148
$15.50₡6,993
42.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$5.56DKK 37.35
$2.75₡1,241
102.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01DKK 26.93
$3.30₡1,488
21.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.70DKK 24.86
$1.13₡509
227.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$87.6DKK 588
$65.5₡29.6K
33.73%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.21DKK 21.58
$2.17₡979
47.93%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$5.87DKK 39.39
$2.02₡912
190.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.37DKK 49.52
$8.94₡4,034
-17.56%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.97DKK 6.53
$1.61₡726
-39.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5KDKK 258.8K
$34.5K₡15.6M
11.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$12.7KDKK 85.0K
$37.4K₡16.9M
-66.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$304DKK 2,040
$94.9₡42.8K
220.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$78.3DKK 526
$31.42₡14.2K
149.24%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$144DKK 966
$58.6₡26.4K
145.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$53.2DKK 357
$65.7₡29.6K
-19.01%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$22.20₡10.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$21.27DKK 143
$8.10₡3,654
162.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$591DKK 3,968
$722₡325.8K
-18.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.4KDKK 69.7K
$12.9K₡5.8M
-19.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$145DKK 972
$75.5₡34.1K
91.71%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.13DKK 330
$56.4₡25.5K
-12.94%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$152DKK 1,019
$128₡57.9K
18.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$220DKK 1,480
$108₡48.8K
103.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,009DKK 6,775
$960₡433.2K
5.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,058DKK 7,104
$708₡319.5K
49.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,532DKK 10.3K
$1,749₡789.0K
-12.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,606DKK 10.8K
$1,215₡548.3K
32.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,197DKK 28.2K
$2,656₡1.2M
58.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,494DKK 30.2K
$1,839₡829.7K
144.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Greenland
Costa Rica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,918DKK 26.3K
$1,058₡477.6K
270.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.66
9.56
-40.79%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Greenland: October 26, 2026
Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Greenland
$1.1K 34.1%
Costa Rica
$708 38.9% ↓ 33.1%$350
🛒Groceries & Markets
Greenland
$687 22.2%
Costa Rica
$380 20.9% ↓ 44.7%$307
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Greenland
$526 17%
Costa Rica
$185 10.2% ↓ 64.9%$341
🍽Eating Out
Greenland
$344 11.1%
Costa Rica
$218 12% ↓ 36.6%$126
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Greenland
$255 8.2%
Costa Rica
$166 9.1% ↓ 34.9%$89
🚌Getting Around
Greenland
$135 4.4%
Costa Rica
$82 4.5% ↓ 39%$53
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Greenland
$96 3.1%
Costa Rica
$82 4.5% ↓ 14.5%$14
🏠Accommodation & Living
Greenland
$1.6K 26.7%
Costa Rica
$1.2K 32.6% ↓ 24.3%$391
🛒Groceries & Markets
Greenland
$1.6K 26%
Costa Rica
$866 23.3% ↓ 44.7%$700
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Greenland
$604 10%
Costa Rica
$216 5.8% ↓ 64.2%$388
🍽Eating Out
Greenland
$1.2K 20.1%
Costa Rica
$706 19% ↓ 41.7%$505
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Greenland
$566 9.4%
Costa Rica
$368 9.9% ↓ 34.9%$198
🚌Getting Around
Greenland
$277 4.6%
Costa Rica
$167 4.5% ↓ 39.8%$110
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Greenland
$191 * 3.2%
Costa Rica
$186 5% ↓ 2.9%$5.5
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $884 in Greenland vs $855 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,566 in Nuuk and $1,164 in San Jose.
💰Average salary: $3,671 in Greenland vs $1,087 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Dining out costs 85% more in Greenland.
⭐Public transport is 30% more expensive in Greenland.
⭐Salaries are about 3.4 times higher in Greenland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Greenland.
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
Greenland vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Greenland?
Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 41% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or in Greenland?
Housing costs more in Greenland: a central one-bedroom averages $884 versus $855 in Costa Rica.
How do daily expenses compare in Costa Rica vs Greenland?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Costa Rica – part of why living there is about 41% cheaper overall.
Which country is better for expats: Costa Rica or Greenland?
Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.