Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and United States

For major cities in those countries you get more relevant data by specifying cities.

City in Costa Rica:
City in United States:

Indices Difference
Consumer Prices in United States are 31.0% higher than in Costa Rica (without rent)
Consumer Prices Including Rent in United States are 59.2% higher than in Costa Rica
Rent Prices in United States are 160.9% higher than in Costa Rica
Restaurant Prices in United States are 49.8% higher than in Costa Rica
Groceries Prices in United States are 29.6% higher than in Costa Rica
Local Purchasing Power in United States is 211.9% higher than in Costa Rica

Currency: Sticky Currency Switch to metric measurement units

Restaurants	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit	Difference
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	5,000.00 ₡ (9.98 $)	10,017.37 ₡ (20.00 $)	+100.3 %
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	30,000.00 ₡ (59.90 $)	37,565.15 ₡ (75.00 $)	+25.2 %
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	5,000.00 ₡ (9.98 $)	5,449.45 ₡ (10.88 $)	+9.0 %
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught)	1,500.00 ₡ (2.99 $)	3,005.21 ₡ (6.00 $)	+100.3 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	2,500.00 ₡ (4.99 $)	3,506.08 ₡ (7.00 $)	+40.2 %
Cappuccino (regular)	1,786.90 ₡ (3.57 $)	2,555.25 ₡ (5.10 $)	+43.0 %
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle)	1,045.31 ₡ (2.09 $)	1,246.17 ₡ (2.49 $)	+19.2 %
Water (12 oz small bottle)	820.43 ₡ (1.64 $)	1,033.59 ₡ (2.06 $)	+26.0 %
Markets	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon)	3,666.95 ₡ (7.32 $)	2,006.25 ₡ (4.01 $)	-45.3 %
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb)	1,271.02 ₡ (2.54 $)	1,619.19 ₡ (3.23 $)	+27.4 %
Rice (white), (1 lb)	514.50 ₡ (1.03 $)	1,037.66 ₡ (2.07 $)	+101.7 %
Eggs (regular) (12)	1,754.65 ₡ (3.50 $)	1,863.69 ₡ (3.72 $)	+6.2 %
Local Cheese (1 lb)	1,928.50 ₡ (3.85 $)	2,923.44 ₡ (5.84 $)	+51.6 %
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	2,169.99 ₡ (4.33 $)	2,758.21 ₡ (5.51 $)	+27.1 %
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)	2,983.95 ₡ (5.96 $)	3,648.98 ₡ (7.29 $)	+22.3 %
Apples (1 lb)	1,028.41 ₡ (2.05 $)	1,206.57 ₡ (2.41 $)	+17.3 %
Banana (1 lb)	373.49 ₡ (0.75 $)	381.70 ₡ (0.76 $)	+2.2 %
Oranges (1 lb)	654.10 ₡ (1.31 $)	1,020.35 ₡ (2.04 $)	+56.0 %
Tomato (1 lb)	607.07 ₡ (1.21 $)	1,113.79 ₡ (2.22 $)	+83.5 %
Potato (1 lb)	592.20 ₡ (1.18 $)	685.58 ₡ (1.37 $)	+15.8 %
Onion (1 lb)	600.09 ₡ (1.20 $)	690.86 ₡ (1.38 $)	+15.1 %
Lettuce (1 head)	518.85 ₡ (1.04 $)	1,080.89 ₡ (2.16 $)	+108.3 %
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	1,215.38 ₡ (2.43 $)	1,095.90 ₡ (2.19 $)	-9.8 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	7,500.00 ₡ (14.97 $)	7,513.03 ₡ (15.00 $)	+0.2 %
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	1,133.61 ₡ (2.26 $)	887.42 ₡ (1.77 $)	-21.7 %
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	1,453.68 ₡ (2.90 $)	1,782.55 ₡ (3.56 $)	+22.6 %
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro)	2,500.00 ₡ (4.99 $)	5,008.69 ₡ (10.00 $)	+100.3 %
Transportation	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	500.00 ₡ (1.00 $)	1,252.17 ₡ (2.50 $)	+150.4 %
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	21,269.57 ₡ (42.47 $)	36,062.54 ₡ (72.00 $)	+69.5 %
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	900.00 ₡ (1.80 $)	1,878.26 ₡ (3.75 $)	+108.7 %
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff)	1,464.50 ₡ (2.92 $)	1,402.43 ₡ (2.80 $)	-4.2 %
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	3,725.00 ₡ (7.44 $)	15,026.06 ₡ (30.00 $)	+303.4 %
Gasoline (1 gallon)	2,909.66 ₡ (5.81 $)	1,830.60 ₡ (3.65 $)	-37.1 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	16,200,000.00 ₡ (32,343.81 $)	16,528,665.09 ₡ (33,000.00 $)	+2.0 %
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car)	17,294,824.22 ₡ (34,529.66 $)	13,067,945.17 ₡ (26,090.56 $)	-24.4 %
Utilities (Monthly)	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment	43,680.08 ₡ (87.21 $)	103,315.31 ₡ (206.27 $)	+136.5 %
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data	12,293.05 ₡ (24.54 $)	26,261.33 ₡ (52.43 $)	+113.6 %
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	25,756.00 ₡ (51.42 $)	35,602.35 ₡ (71.08 $)	+38.2 %
Sports And Leisure	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	27,913.82 ₡ (55.73 $)	23,899.01 ₡ (47.72 $)	-14.4 %
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	16,644.39 ₡ (33.23 $)	11,254.88 ₡ (22.47 $)	-32.4 %
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	4,000.00 ₡ (7.99 $)	7,012.16 ₡ (14.00 $)	+75.3 %
Childcare	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child	242,920.36 ₡ (485.00 $)	688,207.63 ₡ (1,374.03 $)	+183.3 %
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child	4,723,744.00 ₡ (9,431.10 $)	11,510,769.89 ₡ (22,981.61 $)	+143.7 %
Clothing And Shoes	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	37,906.59 ₡ (75.68 $)	26,308.99 ₡ (52.53 $)	-30.6 %
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	26,419.25 ₡ (52.75 $)	21,857.27 ₡ (43.64 $)	-17.3 %
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	59,052.90 ₡ (117.90 $)	44,577.65 ₡ (89.00 $)	-24.5 %
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes	51,622.17 ₡ (103.07 $)	57,782.55 ₡ (115.36 $)	+11.9 %
Rent Per Month	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	334,957.19 ₡ (668.75 $)	893,571.33 ₡ (1,784.04 $)	+166.8 %
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	239,294.72 ₡ (477.76 $)	734,004.35 ₡ (1,465.46 $)	+206.7 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	635,364.33 ₡ (1,268.52 $)	1,496,915.33 ₡ (2,988.64 $)	+135.6 %
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	453,553.49 ₡ (905.53 $)	1,214,772.98 ₡ (2,425.33 $)	+167.8 %
Buy Apartment Price	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	89,430.91 ₡ (178.55 $)	175,761.53 ₡ (350.91 $)	+96.5 %
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	60,697.12 ₡ (121.18 $)	136,799.03 ₡ (273.12 $)	+125.4 %
Salaries And Financing	Costa Rica Edit	United States Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	460,277.07 ₡ (918.96 $)	2,285,520.40 ₡ (4,563.11 $)	+396.6 %
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate	9.86	6.57	-33.4 %
Last update:	April 2024	April 2024
Contributors in the past 12 months:	127	11305

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