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 $3,098 per month in Sint Maarten vs $1,660 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,671 per month in Sint Maarten vs $2,621 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $8,244 per month in Sint Maarten vs $3,581 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Sint Maarten is about 87% 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 125%, Costa Rica by 20%.

Cost ranges are similar: Sint Maarten spans $2,339–$3,822, Costa Rica $996–$2,154. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 ANG 30.60

$10.89 ₡4,874

57.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 ANG 132

$55.8 ₡25.0K

32.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 ANG 17.73

$10.81 ₡4,839

-8.14%

Cappuccino

$4.38 ANG 7.81

$4.52 ₡2,021

-3.10%

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

$3.08 ANG 5.50

$2.45 ₡1,095

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ANG 6.39

$1.89 ₡844

89.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 ANG 6.94

$3.30 ₡1,476

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 ANG 10.01

$4.61 ₡2,064

21.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.60 ANG 6.42

$2.42 ₡1,085

48.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 ANG 4.94

$3.60 ₡1,613

-23.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 ANG 5.33

$2.70 ₡1,207

10.74%

Eggs

$5.12 ANG 9.14

$4.01 ₡1,796

27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.61 ANG 36.78

$10.21 ₡4,568

101.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 ANG 25.67

$10.38 ₡4,647

38.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 ANG 28.69

$13.83 ₡6,190

16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ANG 9.21

$5.08 ₡2,272

1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$5.11 ANG 9.12

$1.75 ₡782

192.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.16 ANG 16.34

$3.52 ₡1,575

160.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.41 ANG 13.22

$3.23 ₡1,446

129.41%

Potato (1kg)

$4.43 ANG 7.91

$3.34 ₡1,496

32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ANG 6.65

$3.18 ₡1,422

17.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.08 ANG 7.28

$1.08 ₡483

277.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 ANG 2.48

$2.68 ₡1,200

-48.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 ANG 14.31

$5.57 ₡2,495

43.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ANG 19.37

$15.23 ₡6,817

-28.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 ANG 9.14

$2.67 ₡1,196

91.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ANG 3.17

$3.33 ₡1,490

-46.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 ANG 5.39

$1.09 ₡486

177.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.54 ANG 2.75

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-97.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 ANG 35.64

$2.20 ₡983

807.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡870

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₡3,969

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ANG 2.35

$1.60 ₡718

-17.50%

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

$32.7K ₡14.6M

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

$36.3K ₡16.3M

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

$383 ANG 683

$95.2 ₡42.6K

302.22%

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

$37.65 ANG 67.2

$31.50 ₡14.1K

19.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 ANG 135

$59.7 ₡26.7K

27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.6 ANG 119

$66.3 ₡29.7K

0.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.60 ₡10.6K

Cinema Ticket

$8.79 ANG 15.69

$8.21 ₡3,676

7.06%

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

$587 ANG 1,048

$726 ₡324.9K

-19.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ANG 21.2K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-7.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.07 ANG 87.6

$74.6 ₡33.4K

-34.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 ANG 70.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 ANG 176

$125 ₡56.0K

-21.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ANG 107

$107 ₡47.7K

-44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 ANG 4,037

$884 ₡395.5K

155.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 ANG 4,115

$641 ₡286.7K

259.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,482 ANG 11.6K

$1,743 ₡779.9K

271.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,407 ANG 11.4K

$1,168 ₡522.7K

448.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,400 ₡1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ANG 21.0K

$1,671 ₡748.0K

605.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,827 ANG 3,262

$1,083 ₡484.5K

68.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

-47.70%

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

Last update for Sint Maarten: September 5, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,240 in Sint Maarten vs $816 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,165 in Philipsburg and $960 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,061 in Sint Maarten 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 175% higher in Sint Maarten.

Dining out costs 26% more in Sint Maarten.

Public transport is 1300% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 86% higher in Sint Maarten.

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 96% 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 96% 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.