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 $2,664 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,130 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,595 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $3,104 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Us Virgin Islands costs about 73% more than 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 99%, Costa Rica by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 $25.19

$9.69 ₡4,413

159.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 $124

$59.8 ₡27.2K

106.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 $11.19

$9.65 ₡4,398

15.96%

Cappuccino

$6.93 $6.93

$3.99 ₡1,817

73.68%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$2.18 ₡993

26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.64 ₡745

27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.05 ₡1,387

98.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$4.42 ₡2,012

56.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.05 ₡934

31.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.21 ₡1,464

86.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.97 $9.97

$2.49 ₡1,133

300.40%

Eggs

$6.62 $6.62

$3.29 ₡1,497

101.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$9.11 ₡4,148

95.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.40 $25.40

$9.70 ₡4,417

161.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.62 $28.62

$13.19 ₡6,010

116.98%

Apples (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$4.53 ₡2,063

122.30%

Banana (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.57 ₡715

159.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.44 $7.44

$3.20 ₡1,460

132.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.01 $8.01

$2.94 ₡1,339

172.45%

Potato (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.99 ₡1,361

57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.71 ₡1,235

88.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.03 ₡469

321.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.50 ₡1,138

60.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.05 ₡2,300

0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.83 $19.83

$16.18 ₡7,372

22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.39 ₡1,091

40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.77 ₡1,260

90.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.97 $3.97

$0.95 ₡431

317.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 $141

$48.97 ₡22.3K

187.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.34 $20.34

$1.86 ₡848

993.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.01 ₡915

56.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.79 $14.79

$7.75 ₡3,532

90.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.50 ₡684

-10.00%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$36.8K ₡16.8M

7.82%

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

$39.1K $39.1K

$35.5K ₡16.2M

10.15%

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

$313 $313

$87.5 ₡39.8K

257.75%

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

$111 $111

$25.82 ₡11.8K

329.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 $85.9

$54.5 ₡24.8K

57.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 $103

$56.4 ₡25.7K

81.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.10 $37.10

$29.13 ₡13.3K

27.36%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$9.14 ₡4,164

97.16%

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

$1,238 $1,238

$555 ₡252.8K

123.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K $18.3K

$9,828 ₡4.5M

85.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$73.9 ₡33.7K

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.90 $42.90

$54.2 ₡24.7K

-20.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 $98.9

$119 ₡54.0K

-16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$102 ₡46.5K

1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 $1,773

$822 ₡374.6K

115.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,539 $1,539

$549 ₡250.1K

180.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 $3,359

$1,469 ₡669.1K

128.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$1,023 ₡466.2K

273.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K $10.2K

$2,327 ₡1.1M

338.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.0K $11.0K

$1,612 ₡734.5K

579.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,698 $3,698

$1,076 ₡490.3K

243.59%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,834 in Us Virgin Islands vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,036 in Charlotte Amalie and $872 in San Jose.

Average salary: $4,045 in Us Virgin Islands vs $1,110 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 136% higher in Us Virgin Islands.

Dining out costs 120% more in Us Virgin Islands.

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

Salaries are 264% higher in Us Virgin Islands, giving Us Virgin Islands 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

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

Costa Rica is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 81% 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 81% 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.