Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,689 per month in Spain vs $1,660 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,496 per month in Spain vs $2,621 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,303 per month in Spain vs $3,581 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Spain is about 2% higher than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Spain and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Spain by 22%, Costa Rica by 20%.

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($973–$2,672) than in Costa Rica ($996–$2,154), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 €15.27

$10.89 ₡4,874

62.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €49.61

$55.8 ₡25.0K

3.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 €10.18

$10.81 ₡4,839

9.25%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.10

$4.52 ₡2,021

-46.24%

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

$2.76 €2.38

$2.45 ₡1,095

12.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.89 ₡844

-2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.03

$3.30 ₡1,476

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.58

$4.61 ₡2,064

-9.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.04

$2.42 ₡1,085

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.32

$3.60 ₡1,613

-57.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.70 ₡1,207

-39.26%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.10

$4.01 ₡1,796

-10.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 €12.77

$10.21 ₡4,568

45.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 €7.32

$10.38 ₡4,647

-18.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 €14.38

$13.83 ₡6,190

20.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$5.08 ₡2,272

-50.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.75 ₡782

19.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$3.52 ₡1,575

-39.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$3.23 ₡1,446

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$3.34 ₡1,496

-45.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.18 ₡1,422

-37.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.08 ₡483

26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$2.68 ₡1,200

-69.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.79

$5.57 ₡2,495

20.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €4.87

$15.23 ₡6,817

-62.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.67 ₡1,196

-51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$3.33 ₡1,490

-36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.09 ₡486

61.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.25 €29.52

$65.4 ₡29.3K

-47.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 €3.92

$2.20 ₡983

106.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.94 ₡870

-24.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.66 €22.12

$8.87 ₡3,969

189.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.60 ₡718

11.87%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

11.42%

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

$30.6K €26.4K

$36.3K ₡16.3M

-15.81%

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

$152 €131

$95.2 ₡42.6K

59.85%

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

$18.49 €15.94

$31.50 ₡14.1K

-41.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.57 €28.94

$59.7 ₡26.7K

-43.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 €40.84

$66.3 ₡29.7K

-28.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 €13.41

$23.60 ₡10.6K

-34.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.59

$8.21 ₡3,676

21.32%

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

$548 €473

$726 ₡324.9K

-24.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,343

$12.8K ₡5.7M

-15.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €77.6

$74.6 ₡33.4K

20.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.31 €32.16

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-30.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €79.3

$125 ₡56.0K

-26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €96.1

$107 ₡47.7K

4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 €905

$884 ₡395.5K

18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 €720

$641 ₡286.7K

30.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 €1,433

$1,743 ₡779.9K

-4.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 €1,078

$1,168 ₡522.7K

7.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 €3,655

$2,400 ₡1.1M

76.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,711 €2,337

$1,671 ₡748.0K

62.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,021 €1,742

$1,083 ₡484.5K

86.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

9.56

-65.69%

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

Last update for Spain: September 7, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $931 in Spain vs $816 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,577 in Madrid and $960 in San Jose.

Average salary: $2,035 in Spain 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 14% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 11% more in Spain.

Public transport is 121% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 84% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

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

Spain vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 16% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 16% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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