Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Nicaragua 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Nicaragua is 36.9% lower than in Costa Rica (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Nicaragua is 40.4% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Rent Prices in Nicaragua are 52.7% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Restaurant Prices in Nicaragua are 49.4% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Groceries Prices in Nicaragua are 27.4% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Nicaragua is 49.6% lower than in Costa Rica | |
Restaurants | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
5,000.00 ₡ (9.46 $) |
2,156.80 ₡ (4.08 $) |
-56.9 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
30,000.00 ₡ (56.75 $) |
14,801.60 ₡ (28.00 $) |
-50.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
5,000.00 ₡ (9.46 $) |
2,965.58 ₡ (5.61 $) |
-40.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
1,500.00 ₡ (2.84 $) |
718.93 ₡ (1.36 $) |
-52.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
2,500.00 ₡ (4.73 $) |
1,057.26 ₡ (2.00 $) |
-57.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
1,856.85 ₡ (3.51 $) |
1,111.86 ₡ (2.10 $) |
-40.1 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
1,060.49 ₡ (2.01 $) |
454.47 ₡ (0.86 $) |
-57.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
845.60 ₡ (1.60 $) |
370.72 ₡ (0.70 $) |
-56.2 % |
Markets | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
3,762.48 ₡ (7.12 $) |
2,190.29 ₡ (4.14 $) |
-41.8 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
1,320.11 ₡ (2.50 $) |
686.18 ₡ (1.30 $) |
-48.0 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
507.74 ₡ (0.96 $) |
258.60 ₡ (0.49 $) |
-49.1 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
1,762.74 ₡ (3.33 $) |
990.06 ₡ (1.87 $) |
-43.8 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
1,905.82 ₡ (3.61 $) |
1,085.42 ₡ (2.05 $) |
-43.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
2,182.34 ₡ (4.13 $) |
1,238.55 ₡ (2.34 $) |
-43.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
3,047.37 ₡ (5.76 $) |
1,968.95 ₡ (3.72 $) |
-35.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1,006.25 ₡ (1.90 $) |
1,278.93 ₡ (2.42 $) |
+27.1 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
385.26 ₡ (0.73 $) |
371.70 ₡ (0.70 $) |
-3.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
702.28 ₡ (1.33 $) |
979.96 ₡ (1.85 $) |
+39.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
627.76 ₡ (1.19 $) |
287.05 ₡ (0.54 $) |
-54.3 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
607.15 ₡ (1.15 $) |
473.28 ₡ (0.90 $) |
-22.0 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
623.53 ₡ (1.18 $) |
372.06 ₡ (0.70 $) |
-40.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
514.73 ₡ (0.97 $) |
462.81 ₡ (0.88 $) |
-10.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1,232.49 ₡ (2.33 $) |
514.69 ₡ (0.97 $) |
-58.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
7,750.00 ₡ (14.66 $) |
5,286.29 ₡ (10.00 $) |
-31.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
1,137.53 ₡ (2.15 $) |
690.18 ₡ (1.31 $) |
-39.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
1,435.84 ₡ (2.72 $) |
1,097.68 ₡ (2.08 $) |
-23.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
2,500.00 ₡ (4.73 $) |
1,546.24 ₡ (2.92 $) |
-38.2 % |
Transportation | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
500.00 ₡ (0.95 $) |
118.94 ₡ (0.23 $) |
-76.2 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
21,739.13 ₡ (41.12 $) |
4,481.85 ₡ (8.48 $) |
-79.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
900.00 ₡ (1.70 $) |
306.60 ₡ (0.58 $) |
-65.9 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
1,504.74 ₡ (2.85 $) |
482.16 ₡ (0.91 $) |
-68.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
3,725.00 ₡ (7.05 $) |
3,031.67 ₡ (5.73 $) |
-18.6 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
2,910.18 ₡ (5.51 $) |
2,672.15 ₡ (5.05 $) |
-8.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
16,900,000.00 ₡ (31,969.52 $) |
9,340,189.59 ₡ (17,668.72 $) |
-44.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
17,969,272.20 ₡ (33,992.25 $) |
12,746,544.92 ₡ (24,112.48 $) |
-29.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
46,383.86 ₡ (87.74 $) |
38,002.62 ₡ (71.89 $) |
-18.1 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
12,657.55 ₡ (23.94 $) |
8,908.15 ₡ (16.85 $) |
-29.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
26,671.33 ₡ (50.45 $) |
22,217.02 ₡ (42.03 $) |
-16.7 % |
Sports And Leisure | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
28,983.53 ₡ (54.83 $) |
16,359.72 ₡ (30.95 $) |
-43.6 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
16,913.33 ₡ (31.99 $) |
0.00 ₡ (0.00 $) |
-100.0 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
4,000.00 ₡ (7.57 $) |
3,857.57 ₡ (7.30 $) |
-3.6 % |
Childcare | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
258,183.42 ₡ (488.40 $) |
62,994.90 ₡ (119.17 $) |
-75.6 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
4,874,600.16 ₡ (9,221.22 $) |
4,916,245.32 ₡ (9,300.00 $) |
+0.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
38,200.00 ₡ (72.26 $) |
26,071.61 ₡ (49.32 $) |
-31.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
27,237.56 ₡ (51.52 $) |
21,611.38 ₡ (40.88 $) |
-20.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
59,873.22 ₡ (113.26 $) |
35,098.03 ₡ (66.39 $) |
-41.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
53,511.77 ₡ (101.23 $) |
38,347.35 ₡ (72.54 $) |
-28.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
378,748.09 ₡ (716.47 $) |
170,482.70 ₡ (322.50 $) |
-55.0 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
270,701.36 ₡ (512.08 $) |
123,897.31 ₡ (234.38 $) |
-54.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
722,722.88 ₡ (1,367.17 $) |
343,608.54 ₡ (650.00 $) |
-52.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
507,820.81 ₡ (960.64 $) |
251,392.23 ₡ (475.56 $) |
-50.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
109,196.49 ₡ (206.57 $) |
48,210.35 ₡ (91.20 $) |
-55.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
64,204.27 ₡ (121.45 $) |
49,110.79 ₡ (92.90 $) |
-23.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | Costa Rica Edit |
Nicaragua Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
494,774.08 ₡ (935.96 $) |
148,543.29 ₡ (281.00 $) |
-70.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 10.27 | 11.00 | +7.1 % |
| Last update: | July 2024 | July 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 151 | 21 |
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