Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: $1,284 a month against $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$1,284
/mo nomad
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,821
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 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 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and in Costa Rica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,284 per month in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent included.

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $1,284
  • Costa Rica $1,821

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs $2,773 in Costa Rica, rent included.

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $2,053
  • Costa Rica $2,773

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs $3,725 in Costa Rica, rent included.

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $2,822
  • Costa Rica $3,725

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114) than in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ($1,315–$1,315), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is roughly 29% lower than in Costa Rica on average.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines sits 6% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 34% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 EC$15.19
$11.26 ₡5,082
-50.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 EC$164
$54.5 ₡24.6K
11.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 EC$29.43
$11.02 ₡4,973
-1.09%
Cappuccino
$4.65 EC$12.54
$4.43 ₡1,998
4.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 EC$5.33
$2.34 ₡1,055
-15.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 EC$4.63
$1.84 ₡828
-7.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.89 EC$5.11
$3.26 ₡1,472
-42.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 EC$6.79
$4.55 ₡2,053
-44.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.16 EC$8.53
$2.45 ₡1,104
28.98%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 EC$5.59
$3.56 ₡1,608
-41.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 EC$3.97
$2.76 ₡1,245
-46.74%
Eggs
$4.45 EC$12.03
$3.97 ₡1,793
12.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.10 EC$35.37
$10.47 ₡4,726
25.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.98 EC$10.75
$9.98 ₡4,505
-60.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.85 EC$31.99
$13.91 ₡6,275
-14.81%
Apples (1kg)
$9.59 EC$25.89
$5.06 ₡2,282
89.53%
Banana (1kg)
$3.59 EC$9.70
$1.69 ₡763
112.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$9.68 EC$26.13
$3.45 ₡1,557
180.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.91 EC$15.94
$3.23 ₡1,459
82.97%
Potato (1kg)
$3.83 EC$10.35
$3.44 ₡1,554
11.34%
Onion (1kg)
$3.79 EC$10.24
$3.25 ₡1,465
16.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.80 EC$7.57
$1.09 ₡492
156.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 EC$5.84
$2.67 ₡1,203
-19.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.98 EC$10.75
$5.38 ₡2,426
-26.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.77 EC$45.27
$15.50 ₡6,993
8.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 EC$7.42
$2.75 ₡1,241
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 EC$6.60
$3.30 ₡1,488
-26.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 EC$3.21
$1.13 ₡509
5.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.96 EC$135
$65.5 ₡29.6K
-23.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.03 EC$29.78
$2.17 ₡979
408.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 EC$5.14
$2.02 ₡912
-5.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.70 EC$80.2
$8.94 ₡4,034
232.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$3.08 EC$8.30
$1.61 ₡726
91.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K EC$103.5K
$34.5K ₡15.6M
11.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K EC$81.4K
$37.4K ₡16.9M
-19.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$74.4 EC$201
$94.9 ₡42.8K
-21.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.15 EC$92.2
$31.42 ₡14.2K
8.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.3 EC$144
$58.6 ₡26.4K
-8.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.48 EC$87.7
$65.7 ₡29.6K
-50.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.49 EC$12.13
$22.20 ₡10.0K
-79.77%
Cinema Ticket
$4.72 EC$12.75
$8.10 ₡3,654
-41.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$104 EC$280
$722 ₡325.8K
-85.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$12.9K ₡5.8M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.5 EC$174
$75.5 ₡34.1K
-14.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.2 EC$168
$56.4 ₡25.5K
10.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.5 EC$198
$128 ₡57.9K
-42.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.8 EC$253
$108 ₡48.8K
-13.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$406 EC$1,095
$960 ₡433.2K
-57.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$293 EC$792
$708 ₡319.5K
-58.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$682 EC$1,841
$1,749 ₡789.0K
-61.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$502 EC$1,355
$1,215 ₡548.3K
-58.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$596 EC$1,610
$2,656 ₡1.2M
-77.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$592 EC$1,598
$1,839 ₡829.7K
-67.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,074 EC$2,899
$1,058 ₡477.6K
1.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.5
9.56
-21.55%

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

Last update for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: October 27, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$417
Costa Rica
$380 8.9% $37
Accommodation & Living
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$293
Costa Rica
$708 141% $415
Eating Out
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$163
Costa Rica
$218 34.2% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$162
Costa Rica
$185 14.2% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$132
Costa Rica
$166 25.3% $33
Getting Around
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$75
Costa Rica
$82 9.4% $7.1
Sport & Entertainment
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
$42
Costa Rica
$82 95.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $287 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs $855 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $287 in Kingstown and $1,164 in San Jose.

Average salary: $1,081 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs $1,087 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 198% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 46% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Good to know
🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
🕒 Local time
04:42 4:42 AM
02:42 2:42 AM
2 h behind Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
109,897
5,044,197
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.333 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Costa Rica 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • 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
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is cheaper: Costa Rica or Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 29% lower on average.
Is rent more expensive in Costa Rica or in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $855 versus $287 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Can you live in both Costa Rica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on $1,500 per month?
$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Which country is better for expats: Costa Rica or Saint Vincent and the Grenadines?
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines vs other spots: cost of living compared

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