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: $1,484 in Mytilene versus $1,456 in Jaco Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Mytilene versus $2,288 in Jaco Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,879 in Mytilene versus $3,120 in Jaco Beach.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mytilene 8% above, Jaco Beach 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 €10.92

$11.65 ₡5,213

8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 €39.30

$44.54 ₡19.9K

2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.67 ₡4,329

7.34%

Cappuccino

$4.05 €3.49

$4.06 ₡1,819

-0.25%

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

$2.76 €2.38

$2.41 ₡1,078

14.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$1.87 ₡838

-65.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.23 ₡1,447

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €4.91

$4.29 ₡1,920

32.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.97 ₡882

-19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.22 ₡996

-24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.48 ₡1,112

20.97%

Eggs

$3.08 €2.66

$2.63 ₡1,178

17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.41 €11.56

$10.62 ₡4,751

26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 €8.70

$8.96 ₡4,008

12.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 €11.57

$12.14 ₡5,432

10.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$4.94 ₡2,211

-51.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.57 ₡701

36.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$4.56 ₡2,041

-67.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.56 ₡1,592

-43.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.55 ₡692

-24.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.47 ₡659

-21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.95 ₡426

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.92 ₡860

-53.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.39 €4.64

$5.81 ₡2,601

-7.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 €11.03

$14.11 ₡6,314

-9.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.61 ₡1,168

-20.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.43

$2.22 ₡996

26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.58 €41.88

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.41 ₡1,078

9.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.63 ₡730

-31.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.14 €14.78

$8.66 ₡3,875

97.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.53 ₡683

41.83%

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

$28.6K €24.6K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

28.09%

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

$26.4K €22.8K

$34.8K ₡15.6M

-24.16%

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

$255 €220

$79.9 ₡35.8K

219.18%

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

$24.88 €21.45

$24.02 ₡10.7K

3.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €49.66

$47.07 ₡21.1K

22.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 €45.03

$53.9 ₡24.1K

-3.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 €22.91

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 €7.94

$8.19 ₡3,663

12.45%

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

$450 €388

$483 ₡216.1K

-6.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,090 €6,112

$7,329 ₡3.3M

-3.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 €73.0

$24.95 ₡11.2K

239.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 €35.67

$56.9 ₡25.5K

-27.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 €80.1

$130 ₡58.1K

-28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$132 ₡59.0K

0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 €299

$771 ₡345.0K

-55.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 €279

$533 ₡238.6K

-39.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 €571

$1,995 ₡892.8K

-66.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 €432

$1,114 ₡498.6K

-54.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 €2,474

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,406 €2,074

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 €945

$405 ₡181.3K

170.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

8.78

-41.34%

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

Last update for Mytilene: September 6, 2026

Last update for Jaco Beach: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Mytilene and $771 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mytilene pays 170% 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: $46.00 in Mytilene vs $45.00 in Jaco Beach. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $326, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 170% higher in Mytilene, 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: $346 in Mytilene versus $771 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $450 in Mytilene versus $483 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 $45.00 versus $46.00 in Mytilene. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,456 in Jaco Beach versus $1,484 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.