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 $1,265 per month in Mexico vs $1,660 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,025 per month in Mexico vs $2,621 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Mexico vs $3,581 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Mexico is roughly 24% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Mexico sits 8% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Mexico ($806–$2,851) than in Costa Rica ($996–$2,154), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 MX$202

$10.89 ₡4,874

9.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 MX$788

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-16.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 MX$169

$10.81 ₡4,839

-7.59%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$64.5

$4.52 ₡2,021

-15.93%

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

$1.53 MX$26.00

$2.45 ₡1,095

-37.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$18.64

$1.89 ₡844

-41.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$3.30 ₡1,476

-8.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$80.0

$4.61 ₡2,064

2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.16

$2.42 ₡1,085

-28.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.60 ₡1,613

-18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.73

$2.70 ₡1,207

-30.74%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$44.39

$4.01 ₡1,796

-34.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 MX$171

$10.21 ₡4,568

-1.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$10.38 ₡4,647

-11.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 MX$214

$13.83 ₡6,190

-8.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$51.6

$5.08 ₡2,272

-40.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MX$29.88

$1.75 ₡782

0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.14

$3.52 ₡1,575

-39.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.20

$3.23 ₡1,446

-34.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.43

$3.34 ₡1,496

-33.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.35

$3.18 ₡1,422

-30.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$25.34

$1.08 ₡483

37.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.15

$2.68 ₡1,200

-53.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 MX$84.9

$5.57 ₡2,495

-10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 MX$200

$15.23 ₡6,817

-22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$31.79

$2.67 ₡1,196

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$60.5

$3.33 ₡1,490

7.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.79

$1.09 ₡486

-36.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.98 MX$492

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-55.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 MX$49.14

$2.20 ₡983

31.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 MX$50.5

$1.94 ₡870

53.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 MX$201

$8.87 ₡3,969

33.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.36

$1.60 ₡718

-3.13%

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

$22.5K MX$381.3K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

-31.17%

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

$26.2K MX$444.3K

$36.3K ₡16.3M

-27.94%

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

$75.6 MX$1,283

$95.2 ₡42.6K

-20.54%

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

$25.85 MX$438

$31.50 ₡14.1K

-17.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.98 MX$526

$59.7 ₡26.7K

-48.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.98 MX$678

$66.3 ₡29.7K

-39.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.05 MX$323

$23.60 ₡10.6K

-19.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 MX$93.2

$8.21 ₡3,676

-33.01%

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

$280 MX$4,745

$726 ₡324.9K

-61.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,643 MX$112.7K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-47.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 MX$1,036

$74.6 ₡33.4K

-18.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 MX$777

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,818

$125 ₡56.0K

-14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MX$1,676

$107 ₡47.7K

-7.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.0K

$884 ₡395.5K

-13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MX$8,320

$641 ₡286.7K

-23.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 MX$24.8K

$1,743 ₡779.9K

-16.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 MX$16.4K

$1,168 ₡522.7K

-17.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 MX$46.1K

$2,400 ₡1.1M

13.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 MX$27.1K

$1,671 ₡748.0K

-4.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$821 MX$13.9K

$1,083 ₡484.5K

-24.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

9.56

19.56%

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

Last update for Mexico: September 7, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $668 in Mexico vs $816 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,148 in Mexico City and $960 in San Jose.

Average salary: $787 in Mexico vs $1,106 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 13% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 41% 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

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 16% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 16% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Mexico 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.