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 $2,687 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,113 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $2,325 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,539 per month in Us Virgin Islands vs $3,113 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Us Virgin Islands costs about 75% 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 100%, Costa Rica by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$9.92 ₡4,484

149.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 $123

$60.2 ₡27.2K

103.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$9.80 ₡4,429

11.63%

Cappuccino

$7.05 $7.05

$4.11 ₡1,859

71.53%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$2.10 ₡951

37.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.70 ₡770

22.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.01 ₡1,359

100.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.39 ₡1,986

58.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.01 ₡909

33.83%

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.10 ₡1,401

88.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$2.45 ₡1,105

293.47%

Eggs

$6.71 $6.71

$3.37 ₡1,524

99.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$9.13 ₡4,127

90.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.52 $25.52

$9.46 ₡4,275

169.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 $27.83

$13.21 ₡5,970

110.67%

Apples (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$4.54 ₡2,052

112.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.61 ₡729

142.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.57 $7.57

$3.19 ₡1,440

137.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.76 $7.76

$3.07 ₡1,387

152.77%

Potato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.98 ₡1,346

59.40%

Onion (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.72 ₡1,228

83.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.01 ₡458

338.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.44 ₡1,102

59.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 $4.93

$5.04 ₡2,277

-2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.76 $22.76

$15.95 ₡7,205

42.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.35 ₡1,063

39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.72 ₡1,228

96.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.94 $3.94

$0.97 ₡438

306.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 $138

$49.77 ₡22.5K

176.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.12 $20.12

$1.89 ₡855

964.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.94 ₡879

60.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.78 ₡3,513

93.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.51 ₡683

-9.93%

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

$40.8K $40.8K

$37.3K ₡16.9M

9.23%

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

$40.1K $40.1K

$35.7K ₡16.1M

12.13%

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

$307 $307

$86.7 ₡39.2K

254.57%

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

$108 $108

$25.28 ₡11.4K

328.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.7 $88.7

$54.7 ₡24.7K

62.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 $105

$57.8 ₡26.1K

81.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.14 $37.14

$29.25 ₡13.2K

26.97%

Cinema Ticket

$18.29 $18.29

$9.10 ₡4,112

100.99%

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

$1,204 $1,204

$542 ₡244.9K

122.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K $18.6K

$10.0K ₡4.5M

85.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 $71.1

$73.6 ₡33.3K

-3.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$54.3 ₡24.5K

-21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$119 ₡53.9K

-15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$104 ₡46.9K

-3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 $1,727

$799 ₡360.9K

116.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 $1,534

$545 ₡246.3K

181.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,303 $3,303

$1,482 ₡669.5K

122.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,746 $3,746

$1,037 ₡468.4K

261.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K $10.4K

$2,403 ₡1.1M

334.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$1,603 ₡724.1K

581.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,909 $3,909

$1,079 ₡487.7K

262.09%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,808 in Us Virgin Islands vs $777 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,972 in Charlotte Amalie and $880 in San Jose.

Average salary: $4,032 in Us Virgin Islands 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 133% 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 270% 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 76% 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 76% 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.