Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,779 a month against $1,938 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto Rico outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index

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🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,938

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Rico and in Costa Rica

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto Rico and in Costa Rica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,938 per month in Puerto Rico vs $1,779 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Puerto Rico $1,938
Costa Rica $1,779

A couple spends around $2,984 per month in Puerto Rico vs $2,745 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Puerto Rico $2,984
Costa Rica $2,745

A family of three spends $4,029 per month in Puerto Rico vs $3,711 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Puerto Rico $4,029
Costa Rica $3,711

The cost of living in Puerto Rico is about 9% higher than in Costa Rica on average.

Both Puerto Rico and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Puerto Rico by 44%, Costa Rica by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.20 $15.20

$11.77 ₡5,278

29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$55.1 ₡24.7K

43.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$10.88 ₡4,880

-8.46%

Cappuccino

$3.48 $3.48

$4.50 ₡2,018

-22.67%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$2.37 ₡1,063

-27.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.91 ₡858

-26.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.25 ₡1,457

-9.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.40 ₡1,974

4.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.45 ₡1,098

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.57 ₡1,599

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.75 ₡1,235

-16.00%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$4.03 ₡1,806

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$10.04 ₡4,504

12.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 $8.33

$10.40 ₡4,665

-19.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$13.69 ₡6,140

-10.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$5.16 ₡2,313

-13.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.69 ₡760

57.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.60 ₡1,613

21.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.39 ₡1,519

29.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.36 ₡1,506

5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.18 ₡1,427

-0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.12 ₡504

160.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.66 ₡1,195

-30.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$5.38 ₡2,415

122.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.36 $15.36

$16.05 ₡7,197

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.71 ₡1,214

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.30 ₡1,480

9.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.13 ₡507

8.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.45 $30.45

$65.8 ₡29.5K

-53.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.28 ₡1,021

11.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.00 ₡895

-23.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.38 $42.38

$9.08 ₡4,074

366.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.54 ₡689

-29.87%

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

$40.1K $40.1K

$32.5K ₡14.6M

23.37%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$36.6K ₡16.4M

-19.50%

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

$294 $294

$95.7 ₡42.9K

206.59%

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

$66.9 $66.9

$30.83 ₡13.8K

117.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$58.4 ₡26.2K

23.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 $28.95

$65.6 ₡29.4K

-55.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 $14.06

$22.18 ₡9,948

-36.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 $10.07

$8.25 ₡3,701

22.06%

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

$725 $725

$743 ₡333.3K

-2.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K $11.5K

$12.7K ₡5.7M

-9.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$75.1 ₡33.7K

-24.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.49 $48.49

$56.5 ₡25.3K

-14.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 $92.4

$131 ₡59.0K

-29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$110 ₡49.2K

-9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 $1,087

$841 ₡376.9K

29.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 $667

$655 ₡293.9K

1.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$1,750 ₡784.7K

19.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$1,177 ₡527.9K

9.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,538 $5,538

$2,434 ₡1.1M

127.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$1,640 ₡735.7K

51.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,751 $2,751

$1,071 ₡480.5K

156.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

9.56

-31.90%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 11, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Rico

$667 34.5%

Costa Rica

$655 36.9% 1.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Rico

$433 22.3%

Costa Rica

$185 10.4% 57.3% $248

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Rico

$379 19.6%

Costa Rica

$383 21.5% 0.9% $3.5

Eating Out

Puerto Rico

$230 11.9%

Costa Rica

$223 12.5% 2.9% $6.6

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Rico

$134 6.9%

Costa Rica

$168 9.4% 25.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Rico

$49 2.5%

Costa Rica

$82 4.6% 67.1% $33

Getting Around

Puerto Rico

$46 2.4%

Costa Rica

$83 4.6% 81.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $316 in Puerto Rico vs $830 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,802 in San Juan and $927 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,566 in Puerto Rico vs $1,089 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 163% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 30% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 136% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

18:06 6:06 PM

2 h behind Puerto Rico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,285,874

5,044,197

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Puerto Rico Costa Rica 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Rico
Costa Rica

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Puerto Rico vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Puerto Rico costs about 9% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Puerto Rico. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

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