Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanacaste and Campina Grande Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanacaste and Campina Grande

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,434 in Guanacaste versus $617 in Campina Grande.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,141 in Guanacaste versus $1,040 in Campina Grande.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,849 in Guanacaste versus $1,464 in Campina Grande.

Living in Guanacaste is roughly 132% more expensive than Campina Grande, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guanacaste is 7% above, Campina Grande is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 ₡4,443

$3.53 R$17.69

176.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 ₡20.0K

$26.69 R$134

65.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 ₡4,504

$6.17 R$30.88

60.45%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ₡1,723

$0.93 R$4.63

307.53%

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

$2.01 ₡914

$1.01 R$5.04

99.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₡757

$0.52 R$2.63

221.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 ₡1,315

$1.57 R$7.87

84.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 ₡1,883

$2.00 R$10.00

107.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ₡829

$1.04 R$5.23

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 ₡1,261

$1.20 R$6.00

130.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ₡991

$1.02 R$5.09

113.73%

Eggs

$3.02 ₡1,374

$1.59 R$7.97

89.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 ₡2,304

$6.62 R$33.11

-23.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ₡1,852

$3.61 R$18.05

12.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 ₡4,596

$6.63 R$33.16

52.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₡1,118

$2.06 R$10.31

19.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₡668

$0.93 R$4.64

58.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 ₡1,790

$0.87 R$4.37

352.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ₡647

$1.09 R$5.47

30.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 ₡1,546

$0.87 R$4.35

290.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₡878

$0.99 R$4.96

94.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ₡346

$0.57 R$2.83

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,322

$0.55 R$2.77

429.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ₡1,770

$1.65 R$8.26

135.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.38 ₡10.2K

$7.76 R$38.81

188.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,140

$1.42 R$7.11

76.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₡1,114

$1.95 R$9.75

25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡461

$0.88 R$4.41

14.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.63 R$178

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₡815

$0.84 R$4.18

113.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 ₡833

$0.68 R$3.39

169.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 ₡3,660

$8.77 R$43.89

-8.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡663

$1.03 R$5.17

41.75%

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

$37.6K ₡17.1M

$17.7K R$88.5K

112.70%

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

$32.3K ₡14.7M

$24.5K R$122.5K

31.92%

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

$92.7 ₡42.2K

$43.27 R$217

114.26%

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

$25.74 ₡11.7K

$7.90 R$39.55

225.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.44 ₡13.4K

$14.14 R$70.8

108.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 ₡26.3K

$18.81 R$94.1

207.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 ₡10.9K

$21.65 R$108

10.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.76 ₡4,438

$4.61 R$23.07

111.71%

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

$567 ₡257.9K

$135 R$675

320.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.7M

$4,303 R$21.5K

193.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 ₡26.9K

$41.93 R$210

40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.12 ₡17.8K

$28.75 R$144

36.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ₡35.9K

$69.8 R$349

12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 ₡31.5K

$35.78 R$179

93.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₡344.9K

$300 R$1,500

152.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₡268.8K

$177 R$887

233.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 ₡696.7K

$709 R$3,547

116.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 ₡444.0K

$411 R$2,057

137.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$496 R$2,480

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$393 R$1,966

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 R$2,206

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

13.00%

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

Last update for Guanacaste: June 1, 2026

Last update for Campina Grande: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Guanacaste and $300 in Campina Grande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Guanacaste vs $27.00 in Campina Grande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $155 per month, with Campina Grande cheaper across the board.

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

Guanacaste vs Campina Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Campina Grande is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,151 in Guanacaste and $925 in Campina Grande to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $758 in Guanacaste versus $300 in Campina Grande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $567 in Guanacaste versus $135 in Campina Grande. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Campina Grande – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $44.00 in Guanacaste. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $617 in Campina Grande versus $1,434 in Guanacaste, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Campina Grande but tight or insufficient in Guanacaste. The gap between the two cities makes Campina Grande the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Campina Grande gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Guanacaste. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.