Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Maarten and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Maarten and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,373 per month in Sint Maarten vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $6,072 per month in Sint Maarten vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $8,771 per month in Sint Maarten vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Sint Maarten is about 120% higher than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Sint Maarten and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Sint Maarten by 152%, Costa Rica by 15%.

The regional cost range is wider in Costa Rica ($1,125–$2,081) than in Sint Maarten ($3,135–$3,648), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.97 ANG 30.29

$10.10 ₡4,505

68.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 ANG 154

$60.1 ₡26.8K

43.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 ANG 15.45

$10.12 ₡4,516

-14.43%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ANG 6.83

$3.90 ₡1,738

-1.79%

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

$2.91 ANG 5.19

$2.20 ₡982

32.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ANG 6.31

$1.67 ₡743

111.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 ANG 5.20

$3.06 ₡1,367

-4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ANG 8.07

$4.41 ₡1,969

2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.56 ANG 6.35

$2.10 ₡937

69.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 ANG 4.85

$3.22 ₡1,437

-15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 ANG 4.82

$2.50 ₡1,115

8.00%

Eggs

$5.17 ANG 9.23

$3.37 ₡1,505

53.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.57 ANG 33.14

$9.57 ₡4,268

94.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 ANG 27.58

$9.44 ₡4,212

63.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 ANG 28.86

$13.43 ₡5,992

20.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 ANG 8.03

$4.67 ₡2,084

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 ANG 5.83

$1.57 ₡700

108.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.97 ANG 10.66

$3.20 ₡1,428

86.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 ANG 8.64

$2.98 ₡1,330

62.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ANG 5.72

$2.98 ₡1,329

7.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.49 ANG 6.24

$2.83 ₡1,264

23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.85 ANG 6.87

$1.01 ₡452

281.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ANG 3.06

$2.50 ₡1,117

-31.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.97 ANG 14.22

$5.09 ₡2,270

56.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ANG 20.61

$16.14 ₡7,200

-28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ANG 3.73

$2.35 ₡1,047

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ANG 3.80

$2.81 ₡1,255

-24.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 ANG 4.00

$1.01 ₡452

121.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 ANG 163

$49.99 ₡22.3K

82.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.17 ANG 18.15

$1.87 ₡833

443.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.30 ANG 9.47

$1.97 ₡877

169.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 ANG 10.49

$7.61 ₡3,397

-22.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ANG 2.65

$1.44 ₡645

2.78%

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

$18.5K ANG 33.0K

$36.5K ₡16.3M

-49.27%

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

$15.3K ANG 27.4K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

-56.70%

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

$373 ANG 665

$87.3 ₡38.9K

326.77%

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

$38.15 ANG 68.1

$25.16 ₡11.2K

51.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 ANG 121

$53.0 ₡23.7K

27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 ANG 114

$57.4 ₡25.6K

11.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 ANG 41.40

$28.74 ₡12.8K

-19.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 ANG 23.10

$9.04 ₡4,035

43.14%

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

$697 ANG 1,245

$553 ₡246.7K

26.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ANG 21.1K

$9,994 ₡4.5M

18.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 ANG 124

$71.6 ₡32.0K

-3.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 ANG 81.9

$53.2 ₡23.7K

-13.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 ANG 141

$119 ₡53.0K

-33.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 ANG 124

$102 ₡45.6K

-32.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 ANG 4,049

$809 ₡360.7K

180.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 ANG 4,105

$544 ₡242.5K

323.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,518 ANG 11.6K

$1,466 ₡654.2K

344.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,522 ANG 11.6K

$1,018 ₡454.0K

540.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 ₡1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ANG 21.1K

$1,638 ₡730.9K

621.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,811 ANG 3,233

$1,067 ₡476.1K

69.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

10.53

-47.77%

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

Last update for Sint Maarten: July 11, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,194 in Sint Maarten vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,988 in Philipsburg and $860 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,039 in Sint Maarten 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 193% higher in Sint Maarten.

Dining out costs 39% more in Sint Maarten.

Public transport is 138% more expensive in Sint Maarten.

Salaries are 86% higher in Sint Maarten, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Costa Rica.

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

Sint Maarten vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 112% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 112% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Sint Maarten 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.