Cost of Living Comparison Between Us Virgin Islands and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Us Virgin Islands and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,674 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $1,540 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,128 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $2,324 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,582 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $3,107 in Costa Rica, rent included.

The cost of living in Us Virgin Islands is about 74% higher than in Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Us Virgin Islands and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – Us Virgin Islands by 101%, Costa Rica by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 $25.49

$10.13 ₡4,558

151.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 $126

$59.8 ₡26.9K

110.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 $11.05

$9.92 ₡4,463

11.39%

Cappuccino

$6.68 $6.68

$4.06 ₡1,828

64.53%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$2.12 ₡953

29.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.73 ₡776

15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.99 ₡1,347

104.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.50 ₡2,023

56.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.02 ₡910

35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.09 ₡1,390

93.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.43 ₡1,092

303.70%

Eggs

$6.79 $6.79

$3.32 ₡1,492

104.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$9.18 ₡4,131

90.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.91 $25.91

$9.31 ₡4,191

178.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.31 $28.31

$13.22 ₡5,950

114.15%

Apples (1kg)

$9.58 $9.58

$4.74 ₡2,131

102.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.61 ₡722

145.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.25 ₡1,461

125.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$2.96 ₡1,330

174.32%

Potato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.92 ₡1,315

56.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.78 ₡1,249

78.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.02 ₡461

326.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.45 ₡1,104

57.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.06 ₡2,278

-3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.86 $22.86

$16.79 ₡7,557

36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.30 ₡1,033

44.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.81 ₡1,263

90.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.03 ₡461

292.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 $141

$48.91 ₡22.0K

189.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.76 $19.76

$1.81 ₡814

991.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.01 ₡907

57.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.16 $15.16

$7.68 ₡3,455

97.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.50 ₡676

-9.33%

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

$39.4K $39.4K

$36.2K ₡16.3M

8.92%

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

$40.3K $40.3K

$36.0K ₡16.2M

11.85%

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

$312 $312

$87.9 ₡39.5K

255.40%

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

$109 $109

$25.69 ₡11.6K

325.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$54.3 ₡24.5K

61.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 $104

$56.9 ₡25.6K

83.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.76 $37.76

$28.68 ₡12.9K

31.66%

Cinema Ticket

$18.34 $18.34

$9.00 ₡4,048

103.78%

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

$1,231 $1,231

$556 ₡250.3K

121.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K $18.5K

$10.2K ₡4.6M

81.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$73.4 ₡33.0K

-4.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.64 $43.64

$53.2 ₡23.9K

-17.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 $99.9

$119 ₡53.5K

-16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$103 ₡46.4K

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 $1,746

$799 ₡359.5K

118.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 $1,507

$543 ₡244.3K

177.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,236 $3,236

$1,471 ₡662.1K

119.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,753 $3,753

$1,055 ₡475.0K

255.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K $10.3K

$2,461 ₡1.1M

318.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K $10.8K

$1,640 ₡737.8K

561.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,948 $3,948

$1,084 ₡487.7K

264.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.15

10.53

-32.10%

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

Last update for Us Virgin Islands: July 26, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,803 in Us Virgin Islands vs $752 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,009 in Charlotte Amalie and $873 in San Jose.

Average salary: $3,978 in Us Virgin Islands vs $1,101 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 140% higher in Us Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 115% more in Us Virgin Islands.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Us Virgin Islands.

Salaries are 261% higher in Us Virgin Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Us Virgin Islands.

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

Us Virgin Islands vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 82% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Costa Rica, contributing to the overall 82% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Costa Rica, but in Us Virgin Islands 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.