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

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,121 per month in Mexico vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in Mexico vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,441 per month in Mexico vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Mexico is roughly 27% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Mexico sits 16% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Mexico ($687–$2,360) than in Costa Rica ($1,125–$2,081), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$183

$10.10 ₡4,518

4.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.82 MX$728

$60.1 ₡26.9K

-30.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$136

$10.12 ₡4,529

-22.63%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$58.7

$3.90 ₡1,743

-13.59%

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

$1.34 MX$23.29

$2.20 ₡985

-39.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.13

$1.67 ₡745

-41.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.62

$3.06 ₡1,371

-23.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$71.9

$4.41 ₡1,975

-6.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$2.10 ₡939

-28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$44.83

$3.22 ₡1,441

-20.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.00

$2.50 ₡1,118

-28.80%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.22

$3.37 ₡1,509

-29.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$150

$9.57 ₡4,279

-9.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$131

$9.44 ₡4,224

-20.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$13.43 ₡6,009

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$4.67 ₡2,090

-41.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.41

$1.57 ₡701

-7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.38

$3.20 ₡1,432

-41.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$2.98 ₡1,334

-39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.53

$2.98 ₡1,332

-35.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.78

$2.83 ₡1,268

-27.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.05

$1.01 ₡453

25.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$2.50 ₡1,121

-58.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MX$75.9

$5.09 ₡2,277

-14.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$200

$16.14 ₡7,219

-28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.69

$2.35 ₡1,050

-29.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.81 ₡1,258

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.21

$1.01 ₡453

-36.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.22 MX$457

$49.99 ₡22.4K

-47.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.82

$1.87 ₡835

43.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MX$34.68

$1.97 ₡880

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 MX$186

$7.61 ₡3,406

40.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.20

$1.44 ₡646

-11.81%

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

$20.4K MX$354.4K

$36.5K ₡16.3M

-44.21%

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

$23.3K MX$406.5K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

-34.06%

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

$63.3 MX$1,103

$87.3 ₡39.1K

-27.47%

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

$23.40 MX$408

$25.16 ₡11.3K

-7.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 MX$489

$53.0 ₡23.7K

-47.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 MX$614

$57.4 ₡25.7K

-38.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 MX$322

$28.74 ₡12.9K

-35.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$84.6

$9.04 ₡4,046

-46.24%

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

$247 MX$4,298

$553 ₡247.4K

-55.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,786 MX$100.7K

$9,994 ₡4.5M

-42.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MX$899

$71.6 ₡32.0K

-27.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MX$721

$53.2 ₡23.8K

-22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 MX$1,644

$119 ₡53.1K

-20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 MX$1,538

$102 ₡45.7K

-13.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$809 ₡361.7K

-20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MX$7,934

$544 ₡243.1K

-16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MX$21.7K

$1,466 ₡656.0K

-14.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 MX$14.9K

$1,018 ₡455.3K

-16.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.2K

$2,398 ₡1.1M

8.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,536 MX$26.8K

$1,638 ₡732.9K

-6.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 MX$14.0K

$1,067 ₡477.4K

-24.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

10.53

8.74%

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

Last update for Mexico: July 13, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $530 in Mexico vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,003 in Mexico City and $860 in San Jose.

Average salary: $761 in Mexico vs $1,096 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 42% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 31% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 18% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 44% higher in Costa Rica.

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

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

Mexico is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 5% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Mexico, contributing to the overall 5% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Mexico, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Mexico 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.