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 $2,405 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,660 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,520 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,621 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,635 per month in United Kingdom vs $3,581 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 45% 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 74%, Costa Rica by 20%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,100–$4,235) than in Costa Rica ($996–$2,154), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 £15.90

$10.89 ₡4,874

97.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.0

$55.8 ₡25.0K

57.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$10.81 ₡4,839

0.74%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$4.52 ₡2,021

8.85%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$2.45 ₡1,095

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.89 ₡844

-2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

$3.30 ₡1,476

109.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

$4.61 ₡2,064

48.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$2.42 ₡1,085

-30.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$3.60 ₡1,613

-53.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$2.70 ₡1,207

-18.52%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$4.01 ₡1,796

4.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 £7.38

$10.21 ₡4,568

-2.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 £7.00

$10.38 ₡4,647

-8.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.39

$13.83 ₡6,190

11.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$5.08 ₡2,272

-40.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$1.75 ₡782

-2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$3.52 ₡1,575

-17.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.50

$3.23 ₡1,446

4.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$3.34 ₡1,496

-44.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$3.18 ₡1,422

-50.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.08 ₡483

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.68 ₡1,200

-36.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$5.57 ₡2,495

334.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

$15.23 ₡6,817

-27.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$2.67 ₡1,196

11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$3.33 ₡1,490

1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$1.09 ₡486

214.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.9

$65.4 ₡29.3K

61.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.96

$2.20 ₡983

143.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$1.94 ₡870

22.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 £20.36

$8.87 ₡3,969

210.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.60 ₡718

20.62%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

21.54%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$36.3K ₡16.3M

11.89%

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

$321 £238

$95.2 ₡42.6K

237.70%

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

$18.67 £13.80

$31.50 ₡14.1K

-40.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 £32.47

$59.7 ₡26.7K

-26.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 £34.41

$66.3 ₡29.7K

-29.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 £13.83

$23.60 ₡10.6K

-20.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.00

$8.21 ₡3,676

64.80%

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

$1,739 £1,285

$726 ₡324.9K

139.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.7K

$12.8K ₡5.7M

77.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £67.2

$74.6 ₡33.4K

21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 £35.04

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.8

$125 ₡56.0K

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.9

$107 ₡47.7K

-4.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$884 ₡395.5K

56.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 £809

$641 ₡286.7K

70.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 £1,638

$1,743 ₡779.9K

27.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,341

$1,168 ₡522.7K

55.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 £4,235

$2,400 ₡1.1M

138.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 £3,337

$1,671 ₡748.0K

170.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,461

$1,083 ₡484.5K

207.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

9.56

-44.35%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,285 in United Kingdom vs $816 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,926 in London and $960 in San Jose.

Average salary: $3,292 in United Kingdom 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 57% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 58% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 514% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 198% 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 69% 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 69% 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.