Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,717 per month in Italy vs $1,543 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,624 per month in Italy vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,530 per month in Italy vs $3,105 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Italy costs about 11% more than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Italy and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Italy by 28%, Costa Rica by 15%.

Italy has a wider regional cost range ($1,170–$2,508) than Costa Rica ($1,133–$2,084), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.01

$9.97 ₡4,556

74.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €68.4

$59.4 ₡27.1K

33.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.12

$9.74 ₡4,452

20.74%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$3.94 ₡1,799

-49.24%

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

$3.00 €2.59

$2.11 ₡964

42.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.65 ₡756

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$2.92 ₡1,333

103.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.61

$4.39 ₡2,006

22.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.07 ₡944

-20.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$3.17 ₡1,448

-23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.58

$2.41 ₡1,103

24.07%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.41

$3.34 ₡1,525

18.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.50

$9.24 ₡4,221

82.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 €10.70

$9.40 ₡4,296

32.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.47

$13.56 ₡6,197

49.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$4.48 ₡2,046

-44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.56 ₡711

37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.36 ₡1,534

-21.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$3.08 ₡1,408

10.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.89 ₡1,322

-33.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.86 ₡1,307

-36.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.03 ₡469

50.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$2.52 ₡1,151

-78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.90 ₡2,237

38.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.18

$16.18 ₡7,392

-55.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.39 ₡1,091

-24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.78 ₡1,269

-12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.94 ₡430

112.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.35 €36.45

$49.22 ₡22.5K

-13.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.12

$1.87 ₡852

217.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.01 ₡920

-24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 €29.31

$7.61 ₡3,477

347.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.51 ₡689

35.76%

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

$32.8K €28.3K

$36.3K ₡16.6M

-9.59%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$35.7K ₡16.3M

-5.58%

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

$225 €194

$88.7 ₡40.5K

154.01%

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

$13.25 €11.41

$25.67 ₡11.7K

-48.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.95 €26.64

$53.8 ₡24.6K

-42.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.99

$57.7 ₡26.4K

-3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 €21.65

$29.09 ₡13.3K

-13.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 €8.82

$9.00 ₡4,113

13.89%

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

$576 €496

$544 ₡248.5K

5.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,005

$10.0K ₡4.6M

4.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €79.1

$74.3 ₡33.9K

23.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 €35.05

$53.2 ₡24.3K

-23.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 €84.4

$120 ₡54.7K

-18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$101 ₡46.0K

29.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €740

$798 ₡364.8K

7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 €574

$534 ₡244.1K

24.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 €1,270

$1,509 ₡689.7K

-2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €936

$1,041 ₡475.7K

4.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 €3,315

$2,382 ₡1.1M

61.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,030

$1,603 ₡732.2K

47.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,664

$1,062 ₡485.1K

82.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

10.53

-58.12%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $743 in Italy vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,325 in Rome and $879 in San Jose.

Average salary: $1,949 in Italy vs $1,098 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 45% more in Italy.

Public transport is 238% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 78% higher in Italy, giving Italy 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

Italy vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Italy, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Italy consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 14% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Italy it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Costa Rica 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.