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 $1,543 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,585 per month in United Kingdom vs $3,105 in Costa Rica, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 53% more than 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 76%, Costa Rica by 15%.

United Kingdom has a wider regional cost range ($1,678–$3,892) than Costa Rica ($1,133–$2,084), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.21

$9.97 ₡4,556

104.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.8

$59.4 ₡27.1K

46.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 £7.55

$9.74 ₡4,452

4.00%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.50

$3.94 ₡1,799

19.29%

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

$2.36 £1.76

$2.11 ₡964

11.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.31

$1.65 ₡756

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.96

$2.92 ₡1,333

128.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.79

$4.39 ₡2,006

46.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$2.07 ₡944

-17.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.22

$3.17 ₡1,448

-48.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.71

$2.41 ₡1,103

-4.98%

Eggs

$4.03 £3.00

$3.34 ₡1,525

20.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 £7.28

$9.24 ₡4,221

5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 £6.64

$9.40 ₡4,296

-5.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 £10.66

$13.56 ₡6,197

5.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$4.48 ₡2,046

-31.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.56 ₡711

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$3.36 ₡1,534

-15.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.63

$3.08 ₡1,408

14.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.89 ₡1,322

-44.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.86 ₡1,307

-45.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.03 ₡469

13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$2.52 ₡1,151

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.03 £14.92

$4.90 ₡2,237

308.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 £8.12

$16.18 ₡7,392

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$2.39 ₡1,091

21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.52

$2.78 ₡1,269

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.36

$0.94 ₡430

237.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £71.0

$49.22 ₡22.5K

93.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.06

$1.87 ₡852

191.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.19

$2.01 ₡920

-20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 £20.35

$7.61 ₡3,477

258.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.51 ₡689

31.79%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$36.3K ₡16.6M

3.96%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$35.7K ₡16.3M

12.60%

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

$323 £240

$88.7 ₡40.5K

263.49%

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

$17.22 £12.83

$25.67 ₡11.7K

-32.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.46

$53.8 ₡24.6K

-21.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.29

$57.7 ₡26.4K

-20.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 £11.67

$29.09 ₡13.3K

-46.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.04

$9.00 ₡4,113

49.78%

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

$1,713 £1,276

$544 ₡248.5K

215.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$10.0K ₡4.6M

107.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £68.0

$74.3 ₡33.9K

22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.88 £33.43

$53.2 ₡24.3K

-15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.0

$120 ₡54.7K

-14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.5

$101 ₡46.0K

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,055

$798 ₡364.8K

77.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 £843

$534 ₡244.1K

111.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 £1,719

$1,509 ₡689.7K

52.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,370

$1,041 ₡475.7K

76.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,266

$2,382 ₡1.1M

140.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,370

$1,603 ₡732.2K

182.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,483

$1,062 ₡485.1K

213.92%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,019 in London and $879 in San Jose.

Average salary: $3,219 in United Kingdom vs $1,098 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 63% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 65% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 615% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 193% higher in United Kingdom, giving United Kingdom stronger purchasing power.

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 73% 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 73% 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.