Cost of Living Comparison Between Mytilene and Jaco Beach Cost of Living Comparison Between Mytilene and Jaco Beach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,342 in Mytilene versus $1,315 in Jaco Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,992 in Mytilene versus $2,098 in Jaco Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,642 in Mytilene versus $2,880 in Jaco Beach.

Living in Mytilene is roughly 2% more expensive than Jaco Beach, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mytilene is 0% above, Jaco Beach is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 €10.91

$7.30 ₡3,348

72.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.56 €40.39

$39.91 ₡18.3K

16.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 €3.97

$8.75 ₡4,010

-47.66%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.43

$3.80 ₡1,742

3.95%

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

$2.74 €2.38

$1.59 ₡727

72.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.91 ₡419

-34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 €3.07

$2.93 ₡1,341

20.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.97

$2.97 ₡1,360

92.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.46 ₡670

9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.42

$2.03 ₡929

-19.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.58

$2.13 ₡978

39.91%

Eggs

$2.99 €2.59

$2.46 ₡1,128

21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 €11.89

$9.81 ₡4,498

39.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 €8.35

$8.20 ₡3,761

17.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 €12.00

$10.77 ₡4,937

28.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 €1.39

$4.43 ₡2,033

-63.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.52 ₡697

36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$4.24 ₡1,942

-53.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.76

$3.15 ₡1,442

-35.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.36 ₡622

4.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.29 ₡590

18.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.86 ₡394

18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.77 ₡811

-62.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 €4.51

$5.39 ₡2,471

-3.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 €10.94

$13.85 ₡6,351

-8.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.34 ₡1,071

-51.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.07

$1.97 ₡905

79.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 €1.65

$1.03 ₡474

84.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.77 €24.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 €2.26

$1.79 ₡821

45.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡845

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.50 €11.71

$8.00 ₡3,665

68.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.45 ₡667

55.86%

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

$31.2K €27.1K

$38.4K ₡17.6M

-18.74%

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

$26.9K €23.4K

$32.6K ₡14.9M

-17.33%

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

$253 €220

$71.1 ₡32.6K

256.57%

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

$24.96 €21.65

$21.66 ₡9,928

15.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 €50.3

$42.49 ₡19.5K

36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.04 €15.65

$47.14 ₡21.6K

-61.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.33 €22.84

$23.68 ₡10.9K

11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.41 €8.16

$9.73 ₡4,460

-3.29%

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

$321 €278

$447 ₡204.8K

-28.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,892 €5,111

$6,633 ₡3.0M

-11.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.0 €71.2

$62.2 ₡28.5K

32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 €33.01

$52.0 ₡23.8K

-26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 €76.8

$125 ₡57.4K

-29.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.5

$109 ₡49.8K

-0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 €302

$556 ₡255.0K

-37.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 €290

$495 ₡226.8K

-32.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 €573

$1,865 ₡854.9K

-64.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 €432

$1,044 ₡478.6K

-52.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,371 €2,925

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,301 €1,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 €967

$401 ₡184.0K

177.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

10.17

-49.36%

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

Last update for Mytilene: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Mytilene and $556 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mytilene pays 178% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Mytilene vs $40.00 in Jaco Beach. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $295, with Mytilene cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mytilene vs Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mytilene pays 178% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $348 in Mytilene versus $556 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Mytilene versus $447 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $47.00 in Mytilene. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,315 in Jaco Beach versus $1,342 in Mytilene, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jaco Beach but tight or insufficient in Mytilene. The gap between the two cities makes Jaco Beach the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Mytilene and Jaco Beach are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jaco Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mytilene. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.