Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

For one person, living is cheaper in Costa Rica: $1,821 a month against $3,888 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

188

Cost of Living Index in the U.S. Virgin Islands
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U.S. Virgin Islands Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
Learn more

Costa Rica Living Index

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🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$3,888

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the U.S. Virgin Islands 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 U.S. Virgin Islands and in Costa Rica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,888 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent included.

U.S. Virgin Islands $3,888
Costa Rica $1,821

A couple spends around $6,705 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $2,773 in Costa Rica, rent included.

U.S. Virgin Islands $6,705
Costa Rica $2,773

A family of three spends $9,522 per month in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $3,725 in Costa Rica, rent included.

U.S. Virgin Islands $9,522
Costa Rica $3,725

The regional cost range is wider in the U.S. Virgin Islands ($322–$6,072) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the U.S. Virgin Islands is about 114% higher than in Costa Rica on average.

Both the U.S. Virgin Islands and Costa Rica are pricier than the global median – the U.S. Virgin Islands by 186%, Costa Rica by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.67 $24.67

$11.26 ₡5,082

119.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 $147

$54.5 ₡24.6K

169.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$11.02 ₡4,973

10.62%

Cappuccino

$7.35 $7.35

$4.43 ₡1,998

65.91%

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

$3.29 $3.29

$2.34 ₡1,055

40.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.84 ₡828

44.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.26 ₡1,472

110.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.55 ₡2,053

49.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.45 ₡1,104

15.92%

White Bread (500g)

$6.53 $6.53

$3.56 ₡1,608

83.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.17 $16.17

$2.76 ₡1,245

485.87%

Eggs

$8.69 $8.69

$3.97 ₡1,793

118.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.69 $23.69

$10.47 ₡4,726

126.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.22 $25.22

$9.98 ₡4,505

152.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.69 $31.69

$13.91 ₡6,275

127.82%

Apples (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$5.06 ₡2,282

167.59%

Banana (1kg)

$7.71 $7.71

$1.69 ₡763

356.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$3.45 ₡1,557

235.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$3.23 ₡1,459

322.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.44 ₡1,554

38.66%

Onion (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$3.25 ₡1,465

134.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.62 $5.62

$1.09 ₡492

415.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.67 ₡1,203

75.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.38 ₡2,426

27.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.33 $23.33

$15.50 ₡6,993

50.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.75 ₡1,241

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 $6.46

$3.30 ₡1,488

95.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.04 $6.04

$1.13 ₡509

434.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$65.5 ₡29.6K

58.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.39 $20.39

$2.17 ₡979

839.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.02 ₡912

51.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 $50.1

$8.94 ₡4,034

459.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.61 ₡726

-16.77%

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

$50.6K $50.6K

$34.5K ₡15.6M

46.67%

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

$53.8K $53.8K

$37.4K ₡16.9M

44.03%

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

$384 $384

$94.9 ₡42.8K

304.95%

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

$89.3 $89.3

$31.42 ₡14.2K

184.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 $86.2

$58.6 ₡26.4K

47.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$154 $154

$65.7 ₡29.6K

133.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$8.10 ₡3,654

47.28%

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

$1,512 $1,512

$722 ₡325.8K

109.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K $16.5K

$12.9K ₡5.8M

27.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 $81.1

$75.5 ₡34.1K

7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 $70.1

$56.4 ₡25.5K

24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$128 ₡57.9K

-3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$108 ₡48.8K

14.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 $1,679

$960 ₡433.2K

74.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$708 ₡319.5K

114.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,850 $3,850

$1,749 ₡789.0K

120.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,171 $4,171

$1,215 ₡548.3K

243.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K $10.3K

$2,656 ₡1.2M

286.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.0K $11.0K

$1,839 ₡829.7K

496.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,885 $3,885

$1,058 ₡477.6K

267.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.72

9.56

-19.25%

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

Last update for the U.S. Virgin Islands: October 26, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

U.S. Virgin Islands

$1.5K 39.1%

Costa Rica

$708 38.9% 53.4% $810

Groceries & Markets

U.S. Virgin Islands

$896 23.1%

Costa Rica

$380 20.9% 57.6% $516

Monthly Utilities & Internet

U.S. Virgin Islands

$560 14.4%

Costa Rica

$185 10.2% 67% $375

Eating Out

U.S. Virgin Islands

$394 10.1%

Costa Rica

$218 12% 44.5% $175

Clothing & Footwear

U.S. Virgin Islands

$179 4.6%

Costa Rica

$166 9.1% 7.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

U.S. Virgin Islands

$177 4.6%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 53.8% $96

Getting Around

U.S. Virgin Islands

$163 4.2%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 49.6% $81

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,916 in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $855 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,247 in Charlotte Amalie and $1,164 in San Jose.

Average salary: $4,193 in the U.S. Virgin Islands vs $1,087 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 124% higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 144% more in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Salaries are about 3.9 times higher in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Good to know

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

2 h behind the U.S. Virgin Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,146

5,044,197

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

U.S. Virgin Islands Costa Rica 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

U.S. Virgin Islands
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

U.S. Virgin Islands 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 U.S. Virgin Islands: a central one-bedroom averages $1,916 versus $855 in Costa Rica.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Costa Rica, adding to the overall 114% price gap.

Costa Rica is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.