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 $3,357 per month in Sint Maarten vs $1,543 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $6,053 per month in Sint Maarten vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $8,748 per month in Sint Maarten vs $3,105 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Sint Maarten costs about 118% more than 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 151%, Costa Rica by 15%.

Costa Rica has a wider regional cost range ($1,133–$2,084) than Sint Maarten ($3,079–$3,727), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Costa Rica.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 ANG 30.49

$9.97 ₡4,535

71.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 ANG 157

$59.4 ₡27.0K

47.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.67 ANG 15.48

$9.74 ₡4,432

-10.99%

Cappuccino

$3.80 ANG 6.79

$3.94 ₡1,791

-3.55%

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

$2.96 ANG 5.29

$2.11 ₡959

40.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ANG 6.40

$1.65 ₡752

117.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ANG 5.31

$2.92 ₡1,327

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 ANG 8.08

$4.39 ₡1,996

3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.40 ANG 6.07

$2.07 ₡940

64.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ANG 4.97

$3.17 ₡1,441

-11.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 ANG 4.99

$2.41 ₡1,098

15.77%

Eggs

$5.48 ANG 9.77

$3.34 ₡1,518

64.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.47 ANG 32.97

$9.24 ₡4,202

99.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.63 ANG 27.91

$9.40 ₡4,276

66.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.81 ANG 28.23

$13.56 ₡6,169

16.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 ANG 8.17

$4.48 ₡2,037

2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 ANG 5.80

$1.56 ₡708

108.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 ANG 10.76

$3.36 ₡1,527

79.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 ANG 8.35

$3.08 ₡1,401

51.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 ANG 5.85

$2.89 ₡1,316

13.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ANG 6.04

$2.86 ₡1,301

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.78 ANG 6.75

$1.03 ₡467

266.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ANG 3.05

$2.52 ₡1,145

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 ANG 14.49

$4.90 ₡2,227

65.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 ANG 20.13

$16.18 ₡7,359

-30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ANG 3.87

$2.39 ₡1,086

-9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ANG 3.75

$2.78 ₡1,264

-24.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 ANG 4.16

$0.94 ₡428

147.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.7 ANG 165

$49.22 ₡22.4K

88.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 ANG 17.76

$1.87 ₡848

432.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.52 ANG 9.85

$2.01 ₡916

174.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 ANG 10.54

$7.61 ₡3,461

-22.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ANG 2.66

$1.51 ₡686

-1.32%

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

$18.6K ANG 33.3K

$36.3K ₡16.5M

-48.67%

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

$14.8K ANG 26.4K

$35.7K ₡16.2M

-58.57%

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

$364 ANG 650

$88.7 ₡40.4K

310.48%

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

$38.66 ANG 69.0

$25.67 ₡11.7K

50.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 ANG 122

$53.8 ₡24.5K

26.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ANG 114

$57.7 ₡26.2K

11.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.06 ANG 41.16

$29.09 ₡13.2K

-20.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 ANG 23.09

$9.00 ₡4,095

43.67%

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

$679 ANG 1,213

$544 ₡247.4K

24.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ANG 21.2K

$10.0K ₡4.6M

18.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 ANG 124

$74.3 ₡33.8K

-6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.98 ANG 82.1

$53.2 ₡24.2K

-13.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ANG 145

$120 ₡54.5K

-32.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 ANG 121

$101 ₡45.8K

-32.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 ANG 4,177

$798 ₡363.1K

193.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 ANG 4,024

$534 ₡243.0K

321.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,429 ANG 11.5K

$1,509 ₡686.5K

325.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,385 ANG 11.4K

$1,041 ₡473.5K

513.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 ₡1.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

$1,603 ₡728.9K

647.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,805 ANG 3,221

$1,062 ₡482.9K

69.96%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,214 in Sint Maarten vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,978 in Philipsburg and $879 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,078 in Sint Maarten vs $1,098 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 185% higher in Sint Maarten.

Dining out costs 39% more in Sint Maarten.

Public transport is 138% more expensive in Sint Maarten.

Salaries are 89% 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 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.