Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,779 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Costa Rica

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

A single person spends $2,727 per month in the United States vs $1,779 in Costa Rica, rent included.

United States $2,727
Costa Rica $1,779

A couple spends around $4,009 per month in the United States vs $2,753 in Costa Rica, rent included.

United States $4,009
Costa Rica $2,753

A family of three spends $5,291 per month in the United States vs $3,728 in Costa Rica, rent included.

United States $5,291
Costa Rica $3,728

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in Costa Rica ($1,005–$2,126), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 53% higher than in Costa Rica on average.

Both the United States and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – the United States by 101%, Costa Rica by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$11.34 ₡5,088

73.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$55.6 ₡24.9K

45.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$11.00 ₡4,934

8.91%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.49 ₡2,014

24.50%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.43 ₡1,091

14.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.88 ₡843

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.30 ₡1,479

81.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$4.55 ₡2,040

74.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.41 ₡1,081

-57.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.47 ₡1,555

8.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.67 ₡1,198

67.04%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.02 ₡1,802

7.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.24 ₡4,594

24.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$10.50 ₡4,708

16.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$13.95 ₡6,256

23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$4.96 ₡2,225

7.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.64 ₡736

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.46 ₡1,552

24.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.27 ₡1,465

53.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.34 ₡1,499

-15.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.13 ₡1,404

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.10 ₡495

101.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.62 ₡1,175

-10.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$5.36 ₡2,405

103.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.70 ₡7,043

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.64 ₡1,186

-20.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.18 ₡1,425

13.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.11 ₡498

121.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$65.5 ₡29.4K

0.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.19 ₡983

63.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.10 ₡941

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$8.95 ₡4,016

229.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.53 ₡688

-33.33%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$33.3K ₡14.9M

-15.07%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$37.5K ₡16.8M

-30.79%

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

$221 $221

$95.1 ₡42.7K

132.16%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$30.94 ₡13.9K

98.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$58.3 ₡26.1K

25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$67.4 ₡30.2K

-33.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$22.41 ₡10.1K

1.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$8.50 ₡3,811

78.35%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$733 ₡328.9K

100.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$12.9K ₡5.8M

93.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$76.9 ₡34.5K

-30.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$56.4 ₡25.3K

-22.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$131 ₡58.9K

-29.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$110 ₡49.2K

4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$846 ₡379.3K

95.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$660 ₡295.9K

101.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$1,767 ₡792.4K

51.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,200 ₡538.3K

83.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$2,458 ₡1.1M

24.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$1,658 ₡743.7K

52.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$1,065 ₡477.8K

312.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

9.56

-31.49%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Costa Rica

$660 37.1% 50.5% $672

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Costa Rica

$379 21.3% 8.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Costa Rica

$184 10.4% 48.1% $171

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Costa Rica

$220 12.4% 32.4% $106

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Costa Rica

$168 9.5% 23.3% $32

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Costa Rica

$83 4.7% 6.7% $6

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Costa Rica

$84 4.7% 12.2% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,612 in the United States vs $842 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,743 in Washington, DC and $932 in San Jose.

Average salary: $4,548 in the United States vs $1,089 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 91% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 39% more in the United States.

Public transport is 69% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 318% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

19:53 7:53 PM

2 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

5,044,197

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Costa Rica 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Costa Rica

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

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

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 53% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $842 in Costa Rica.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Costa Rica, adding to the overall 53% price gap.

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