Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Lucia and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Lucia and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $479 per month in Saint Lucia vs $1,674 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $718 per month in Saint Lucia vs $2,639 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $957 per month in Saint Lucia vs $3,604 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Saint Lucia is roughly 71% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Saint Lucia sits 65% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 EC$22.33

$11.02 ₡4,910

-24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 EC$198

$55.4 ₡24.7K

32.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 EC$25.57

$11.02 ₡4,909

-14.07%

Cappuccino

$3.85 EC$10.39

$4.45 ₡1,982

-13.48%

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

$1.39 EC$3.75

$2.47 ₡1,099

-43.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 EC$2.71

$1.96 ₡874

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 EC$7.82

$3.32 ₡1,479

-12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 EC$8.92

$4.41 ₡1,967

-25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 EC$5.53

$2.47 ₡1,103

-17.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 EC$4.54

$3.58 ₡1,597

-53.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 EC$4.20

$2.68 ₡1,194

-42.16%

Eggs

$4.74 EC$12.81

$4.09 ₡1,824

15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 EC$31.03

$9.90 ₡4,412

16.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 EC$30.12

$10.29 ₡4,585

8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 EC$40.62

$14.19 ₡6,321

5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$7.79 EC$21.04

$4.99 ₡2,225

56.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 EC$4.77

$1.79 ₡798

-1.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.07 EC$13.68

$3.63 ₡1,615

39.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.27 EC$22.34

$3.45 ₡1,536

139.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 EC$8.93

$3.38 ₡1,508

-2.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 EC$5.72

$3.09 ₡1,378

-31.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 EC$8.48

$1.15 ₡511

173.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 EC$3.50

$2.86 ₡1,273

-54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.39 EC$19.94

$5.42 ₡2,416

36.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 EC$32.57

$15.44 ₡6,880

-21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 EC$6.23

$2.70 ₡1,204

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 EC$13.66

$3.41 ₡1,519

48.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 EC$2.93

$1.13 ₡502

-3.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 ₡29.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 EC$25.26

$2.22 ₡991

321.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 ₡885

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 ₡3,992

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 EC$4.25

$1.58 ₡703

-0.63%

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

$29.9K EC$80.8K

$33.6K ₡15.0M

-10.82%

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

$41.0K EC$110.8K

$37.0K ₡16.5M

10.87%

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

$132 EC$357

$97.1 ₡43.3K

36.19%

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

$41.52 EC$112

$31.32 ₡14.0K

32.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.52 EC$123

$59.7 ₡26.6K

-23.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 EC$143

$65.5 ₡29.2K

-19.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.48 ₡10.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 EC$18.62

$8.59 ₡3,826

-19.67%

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

$211 EC$569

$748 ₡333.3K

-71.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 EC$170

$75.6 ₡33.7K

-16.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 EC$143

$54.1 ₡24.1K

-1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 EC$299

$129 ₡57.7K

-14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 EC$294

$113 ₡50.5K

-3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 EC$937

$875 ₡390.0K

-60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 EC$758

$661 ₡294.7K

-57.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 EC$2,940

$1,772 ₡789.7K

-38.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 EC$1,886

$1,205 ₡536.7K

-42.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$144 EC$390

$2,413 ₡1.1M

-94.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$159 EC$430

$1,634 ₡728.0K

-90.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$774 EC$2,090

$1,078 ₡480.2K

-28.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

9.56

-18.93%

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

Last update for Saint Lucia: August 30, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $195 in Saint Lucia vs $820 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $451 in Castries and $931 in San Jose.

Average salary: $865 in Saint Lucia 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 321% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 212% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 28% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Saint Lucia.

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

Saint Lucia vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Lucia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 124% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Saint Lucia, contributing to the overall 124% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Saint Lucia, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Saint Lucia 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.