Cost of Living Comparison Between Trinidad And Tobago and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Trinidad And Tobago and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,106 per month in Trinidad And Tobago vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,853 per month in Trinidad And Tobago vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,599 per month in Trinidad And Tobago vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Trinidad And Tobago is roughly 28% lower than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Trinidad And Tobago sits 17% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.72 TTD 58.8

$10.10 ₡4,505

-13.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 TTD 492

$60.1 ₡26.8K

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 TTD 51.1

$10.12 ₡4,516

-25.10%

Cappuccino

$3.63 TTD 24.45

$3.90 ₡1,738

-6.92%

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

$1.02 TTD 6.87

$2.20 ₡982

-53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.11

$1.67 ₡743

-54.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 TTD 11.70

$3.06 ₡1,367

-43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 TTD 19.68

$4.41 ₡1,969

-33.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 TTD 15.86

$2.10 ₡937

11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 TTD 15.96

$3.22 ₡1,437

-26.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 TTD 18.51

$2.50 ₡1,115

10.00%

Eggs

$4.39 TTD 29.59

$3.37 ₡1,505

30.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 TTD 52.1

$9.57 ₡4,268

-19.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 TTD 61.9

$9.44 ₡4,212

-2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 TTD 64.1

$13.43 ₡5,992

-29.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 TTD 33.94

$4.67 ₡2,084

7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 TTD 16.27

$1.57 ₡700

53.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 TTD 23.82

$3.20 ₡1,428

10.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 TTD 30.84

$2.98 ₡1,330

53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 TTD 10.11

$2.98 ₡1,329

-49.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.70

$2.83 ₡1,264

-49.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 TTD 10.58

$1.01 ₡452

55.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 TTD 8.12

$2.50 ₡1,117

-52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 TTD 35.38

$5.09 ₡2,270

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 TTD 121

$16.14 ₡7,200

11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 TTD 13.77

$2.35 ₡1,047

-13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TTD 19.12

$2.81 ₡1,255

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 TTD 7.06

$1.01 ₡452

3.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 TTD 685

$49.99 ₡22.3K

103.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.08

$1.87 ₡833

-43.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 TTD 5.82

$1.97 ₡877

-56.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.73 TTD 99.3

$7.61 ₡3,397

93.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.32

$1.44 ₡645

-24.31%

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

$35.6K TTD 240.3K

$36.5K ₡16.3M

-2.29%

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

$38.9K TTD 262.4K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

9.97%

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

$83.3 TTD 561

$87.3 ₡38.9K

-4.62%

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

$45.23 TTD 305

$25.16 ₡11.2K

79.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 TTD 369

$53.0 ₡23.7K

3.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.73 TTD 328

$57.4 ₡25.6K

-15.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 TTD 102

$28.74 ₡12.8K

-47.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 TTD 60.9

$9.04 ₡4,035

-0.11%

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

$270 TTD 1,817

$553 ₡246.7K

-51.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,270 TTD 49.0K

$9,994 ₡4.5M

-27.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 TTD 391

$71.6 ₡32.0K

-18.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 TTD 278

$53.2 ₡23.7K

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 TTD 740

$119 ₡53.0K

-7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 TTD 612

$102 ₡45.6K

-11.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 TTD 3,846

$809 ₡360.7K

-29.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 TTD 2,686

$544 ₡242.5K

-26.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 TTD 7,013

$1,466 ₡654.2K

-29.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 TTD 5,122

$1,018 ₡454.0K

-25.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,446 TTD 23.2K

$2,398 ₡1.1M

43.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,674 TTD 11.3K

$1,638 ₡730.9K

2.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$894 TTD 6,027

$1,067 ₡476.1K

-16.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

10.53

-44.54%

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

Last update for Trinidad And Tobago: July 12, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $326 in Trinidad And Tobago vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Port of Spain and $860 in San Jose.

Average salary: $978 in Trinidad And Tobago 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 130% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 45% more in Trinidad And Tobago.

Public transport is 69% more expensive in Trinidad And Tobago.

Salaries are 12% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Trinidad And Tobago.

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

Trinidad And Tobago vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trinidad And Tobago is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 101% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Trinidad And Tobago, contributing to the overall 101% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Trinidad And Tobago, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Trinidad And Tobago 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.