Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Puerto Rico vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,384 per month in Puerto Rico vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,200 per month in Puerto Rico vs $3,104 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Puerto Rico costs about 2% more than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Puerto Rico and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Puerto Rico by 17%, Costa Rica by 15%.

Puerto Rico has a wider regional cost range ($1,082–$2,404) than Costa Rica ($1,165–$2,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Puerto Rico.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$9.69 ₡4,413

53.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$59.8 ₡27.2K

25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 $9.14

$9.65 ₡4,398

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$3.99 ₡1,817

-16.54%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$2.18 ₡993

-27.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.64 ₡745

-22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.05 ₡1,387

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.42 ₡2,012

-10.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.05 ₡934

1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.21 ₡1,464

-4.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.49 ₡1,133

-10.44%

Eggs

$5.02 $5.02

$3.29 ₡1,497

52.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 $9.33

$9.11 ₡4,148

2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 $8.52

$9.70 ₡4,417

-12.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$13.19 ₡6,010

-12.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.53 ₡2,063

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.57 ₡715

65.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.20 ₡1,460

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.94 ₡1,339

55.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.99 ₡1,361

3.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.71 ₡1,235

2.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.03 ₡469

156.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.50 ₡1,138

-24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 $10.91

$5.05 ₡2,300

116.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 $15.33

$16.18 ₡7,372

-5.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.39 ₡1,091

-1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.77 ₡1,260

20.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.95 ₡431

78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.32 $40.32

$48.97 ₡22.3K

-17.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.86 ₡848

215.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.01 ₡915

-49.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.24 $27.24

$7.75 ₡3,532

251.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.50 ₡684

-38.00%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$36.8K ₡16.8M

-3.73%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.5K ₡16.2M

-21.94%

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

$299 $299

$87.5 ₡39.8K

241.86%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$25.82 ₡11.8K

179.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$54.5 ₡24.8K

25.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.38 $34.38

$56.4 ₡25.7K

-39.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.16 $33.16

$29.13 ₡13.3K

13.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 $8.87

$9.14 ₡4,164

-2.95%

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

$424 $424

$555 ₡252.8K

-23.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,525 $7,525

$9,828 ₡4.5M

-23.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.05 $48.05

$73.9 ₡33.7K

-34.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.64 $45.64

$54.2 ₡24.7K

-15.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 $84.6

$119 ₡54.0K

-28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 $99.0

$102 ₡46.5K

-2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 $819

$822 ₡374.6K

-0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 $611

$549 ₡250.1K

11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 $1,566

$1,469 ₡669.1K

6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 $1,114

$1,023 ₡466.2K

8.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,029 $5,029

$2,327 ₡1.1M

116.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,906 $1,906

$1,612 ₡734.5K

18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,651 $2,651

$1,076 ₡490.3K

146.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

10.53

-46.63%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: April 27, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $429 in Puerto Rico vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in San Juan and $872 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,318 in Puerto Rico vs $1,110 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 81% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 45% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 86% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 109% higher in Puerto Rico, giving Puerto Rico stronger purchasing power.

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. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 9% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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.