Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Escazu

For one person, living costs are similar in Topeka, KS and in Escazu: $1,909 and $1,934 a month, rent and utilities included.

92

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

Jump to prices

Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,909

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Topeka, KS and in Escazu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Topeka, KS and in Escazu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,909 in Topeka, KS versus $1,934 in Escazu.

Topeka, KS $1,909
Escazu $1,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,846 in Topeka, KS versus $2,959 in Escazu.

Topeka, KS $2,846
Escazu $2,959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Topeka, KS versus $3,984 in Escazu.

Topeka, KS $3,783
Escazu $3,984

Monthly costs are close between Topeka, KS and Escazu; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Topeka, KS 41% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.38 $13.38

$12.06 ₡5,423

10.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 $53.0

$61.8 ₡27.8K

-14.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.76 ₡5,287

-14.12%

Cappuccino

$3.46 $3.46

$4.49 ₡2,020

-22.94%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$2.66 ₡1,195

-10.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.91 ₡860

-9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.35 ₡1,504

33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 $9.09

$4.34 ₡1,952

109.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.45 ₡1,100

-64.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.09 ₡1,389

-12.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.50 ₡1,124

21.60%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.45 ₡1,550

18.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.68 ₡4,803

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 $8.42

$10.28 ₡4,621

-18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.14 ₡6,358

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$5.16 ₡2,322

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.57 ₡704

Oranges (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.23 ₡1,452

62.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$3.00 ₡1,350

42.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.79 ₡1,702

-6.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.73 ₡1,675

-29.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.99 ₡446

91.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.68 ₡754

-48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$5.48 ₡2,462

67.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$18.92 ₡8,505

-35.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.68 ₡754

8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.77 ₡1,245

-37.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.05 ₡471

93.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.05 ₡922

35.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.86 ₡834

-18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.82 $32.82

$8.09 ₡3,636

305.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.48 ₡664

-35.81%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$28.0K ₡12.6M

-5.92%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$36.6K ₡16.4M

-29.83%

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

$145 $145

$94.5 ₡42.5K

53.83%

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

$47.88 $47.88

$29.94 ₡13.5K

59.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$58.6 ₡26.3K

12.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 $37.90

$105 ₡47.3K

-64.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.49 $15.49

$9.81 ₡4,411

57.90%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 $13.44

$7.66 ₡3,445

75.46%

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

$435 $435

$458 ₡206.0K

-5.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,899 $8,899

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-48.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.38 $38.38

$71.8 ₡32.3K

-46.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.01 $28.01

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 $90.2

$128 ₡57.3K

-29.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 $81.5

$133 ₡59.6K

-38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 $618

$866 ₡389.1K

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 $848

$848 ₡381.2K

0.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 $1,161

$1,929 ₡867.0K

-39.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$1,501 ₡674.7K

-2.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,588 $1,588

$1,404 ₡630.9K

13.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$969 ₡435.8K

33.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,540 $3,540

$1,792 ₡805.4K

97.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

8.62

-27.61%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 31, 2026

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$848 44.4%

Escazu

$848 43.9% 0% $0

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$324 17%

Escazu

$363 18.8% 11.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$259 13.6%

Escazu

$183 9.5% 29.4% $76

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$236 12.4%

Escazu

$229 11.9% 2.7% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.6%

Escazu

$174 9% 62.4% $67

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$69 3.6%

Escazu

$16 * 0.8% 77.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$65 3.4%

Escazu

$121 6.2% 86.2% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Topeka, KS and $866 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Topeka, KS pays 98% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53 in Topeka, KS vs $62 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $363 per month, with Topeka, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

Same time as Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

11,984

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Topeka, KS Escazu 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
Escazu

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

Topeka, KS vs Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 98% higher in Topeka, KS, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Topeka, KS versus $866 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Topeka, KS – a meal for two runs $53 versus $62 in Escazu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $435 in Topeka, KS versus $458 in Escazu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Topeka, KS gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.