Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,535 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,471 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,322 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,579 per month in United Kingdom vs $3,108 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 54% higher than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both United Kingdom and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – United Kingdom by 77%, Costa Rica by 15%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,670–$3,916) than in Costa Rica ($1,125–$2,081), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.06

$10.10 ₡4,518

100.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$60.1 ₡26.9K

46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.71

$10.12 ₡4,529

2.27%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$3.90 ₡1,743

22.31%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$2.20 ₡985

10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.67 ₡745

3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

$3.06 ₡1,371

123.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

$4.41 ₡1,975

47.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.10 ₡939

-20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$3.22 ₡1,441

-46.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.50 ₡1,118

-11.60%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.05

$3.37 ₡1,509

21.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.09

$9.57 ₡4,279

-0.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.72

$9.44 ₡4,224

-4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.55

$13.43 ₡6,009

5.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$4.67 ₡2,090

-36.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.57 ₡701

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$3.20 ₡1,432

-11.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$2.98 ₡1,334

14.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.98 ₡1,332

-43.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.83 ₡1,268

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$1.01 ₡453

10.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.50 ₡1,121

-38.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.01

$5.09 ₡2,277

296.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.80

$16.14 ₡7,219

-35.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$2.35 ₡1,050

22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$2.81 ₡1,258

17.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$1.01 ₡453

229.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.7

$49.99 ₡22.4K

92.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.12

$1.87 ₡835

195.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.97 ₡880

-18.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.48

$7.61 ₡3,406

261.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.44 ₡646

31.94%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$36.5K ₡16.3M

4.39%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$35.4K ₡15.8M

15.78%

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

$326 £243

$87.3 ₡39.1K

273.45%

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

$17.18 £12.79

$25.16 ₡11.3K

-31.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.99

$53.0 ₡23.7K

-18.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.20

$57.4 ₡25.7K

-20.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.82

$28.74 ₡12.9K

-44.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.27

$9.04 ₡4,046

52.65%

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

$1,723 £1,283

$553 ₡247.4K

211.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$9,994 ₡4.5M

108.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$71.6 ₡32.0K

26.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.05

$53.2 ₡23.8K

-16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.8

$119 ₡53.1K

-13.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.4

$102 ₡45.7K

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,056

$809 ₡361.7K

75.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £851

$544 ₡243.1K

110.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,711

$1,466 ₡656.0K

56.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,394

$1,018 ₡455.3K

84.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,264

$2,398 ₡1.1M

138.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,231

$1,638 ₡732.9K

164.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,430

$1,067 ₡477.4K

205.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

10.53

-45.39%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,266 in United Kingdom vs $750 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,937 in London and $860 in San Jose.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom 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 69% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 65% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 608% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 191% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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

United Kingdom vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 74% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 74% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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