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 $634 per month in Saint Lucia vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,011 per month in Saint Lucia vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,388 per month in Saint Lucia vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Saint Lucia is roughly 59% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Saint Lucia sits 53% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.88 EC$21.29

$10.10 ₡4,505

-21.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 EC$203

$60.1 ₡26.8K

25.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 EC$21.44

$10.12 ₡4,516

-21.54%

Cappuccino

$3.52 EC$9.49

$3.90 ₡1,738

-9.74%

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

$1.34 EC$3.61

$2.20 ₡982

-39.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 EC$2.84

$1.67 ₡743

-37.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 EC$7.64

$3.06 ₡1,367

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 EC$9.15

$4.41 ₡1,969

-23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 EC$6.18

$2.10 ₡937

9.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 EC$3.97

$3.22 ₡1,437

-54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 EC$4.58

$2.50 ₡1,115

-32.00%

Eggs

$4.13 EC$11.16

$3.37 ₡1,505

22.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 EC$28.16

$9.57 ₡4,268

8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 EC$28.23

$9.44 ₡4,212

10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 EC$47.60

$13.43 ₡5,992

31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 EC$20.07

$4.67 ₡2,084

59.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 EC$4.53

$1.57 ₡700

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 EC$15.63

$3.20 ₡1,428

80.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.50 EC$20.25

$2.98 ₡1,330

151.68%

Potato (1kg)

$4.21 EC$11.37

$2.98 ₡1,329

41.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 EC$6.34

$2.83 ₡1,264

-16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 EC$5.64

$1.01 ₡452

106.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 EC$3.26

$2.50 ₡1,117

-51.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.57 EC$20.43

$5.09 ₡2,270

48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 EC$31.85

$16.14 ₡7,200

-26.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 EC$5.70

$2.35 ₡1,047

-10.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 EC$11.92

$2.81 ₡1,255

56.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 EC$2.94

$1.01 ₡452

7.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.99 ₡22.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 EC$24.38

$1.87 ₡833

382.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ₡877

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.81 EC$50.8

$7.61 ₡3,397

147.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 EC$4.29

$1.44 ₡645

10.42%

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

$28.2K EC$76.1K

$36.5K ₡16.3M

-22.78%

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

$27.4K EC$73.9K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

-22.68%

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

$104 EC$280

$87.3 ₡38.9K

18.98%

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

$37.05 EC$100

$25.16 ₡11.2K

47.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.42 EC$120

$53.0 ₡23.7K

-16.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.86 EC$127

$57.4 ₡25.6K

-18.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.44 EC$98.4

$28.74 ₡12.8K

26.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 EC$20.07

$9.04 ₡4,035

-17.81%

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

$197 EC$531

$553 ₡246.7K

-64.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,994 ₡4.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 EC$149

$71.6 ₡32.0K

-23.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 EC$144

$53.2 ₡23.7K

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 EC$272

$119 ₡53.0K

-15.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 EC$302

$102 ₡45.6K

9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 EC$1,378

$809 ₡360.7K

-36.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 EC$1,018

$544 ₡242.5K

-30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 EC$2,366

$1,466 ₡654.2K

-40.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 EC$1,797

$1,018 ₡454.0K

-34.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$141 EC$381

$2,398 ₡1.1M

-94.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$159 EC$431

$1,638 ₡730.9K

-90.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$750 EC$2,025

$1,067 ₡476.1K

-29.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

10.53

-26.40%

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

Last update for Saint Lucia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $279 in Saint Lucia vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $586 in Castries and $860 in San Jose.

Average salary: $868 in Saint Lucia vs $1,096 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 169% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 38% more in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 26% 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 125% 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 125% 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.