Cost of Living Comparison Between El Salvador and Costa Rica 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Costa Rica are 35.2% higher than in El Salvador (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Costa Rica are 27.9% higher than in El Salvador | |
| Rent Prices in Costa Rica are 7.4% higher than in El Salvador | |
| Restaurant Prices in Costa Rica are 48.3% higher than in El Salvador | |
| Groceries Prices in Costa Rica are 33.1% higher than in El Salvador | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Costa Rica is 66.2% higher than in El Salvador | |
Restaurants | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
8.00 $ (4,070.00 ₡) |
9.83 $ (5,000.00 ₡) |
+22.9 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
30.00 $ (15,262.50 ₡) |
58.97 $ (30,000.00 ₡) |
+96.6 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
7.00 $ (3,561.25 ₡) |
9.83 $ (5,000.00 ₡) |
+40.4 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
1.75 $ (890.31 ₡) |
2.95 $ (1,500.00 ₡) |
+68.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
3.50 $ (1,780.62 ₡) |
4.91 $ (2,500.00 ₡) |
+40.4 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
3.37 $ (1,716.44 ₡) |
3.54 $ (1,800.34 ₡) |
+4.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
0.98 $ (497.48 ₡) |
2.07 $ (1,053.97 ₡) |
+111.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
0.77 $ (392.13 ₡) |
1.63 $ (827.46 ₡) |
+111.0 % |
Markets | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
7.17 $ (3,646.84 ₡) |
7.21 $ (3,669.93 ₡) |
+0.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
1.69 $ (861.75 ₡) |
2.50 $ (1,273.81 ₡) |
+47.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
0.68 $ (348.12 ₡) |
1.01 $ (515.32 ₡) |
+48.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
2.53 $ (1,288.94 ₡) |
3.46 $ (1,758.69 ₡) |
+36.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
3.19 $ (1,624.94 ₡) |
3.80 $ (1,931.43 ₡) |
+18.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
2.28 $ (1,157.77 ₡) |
4.27 $ (2,173.27 ₡) |
+87.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
4.48 $ (2,279.43 ₡) |
5.87 $ (2,987.20 ₡) |
+31.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1.34 $ (682.13 ₡) |
2.02 $ (1,029.73 ₡) |
+51.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
0.81 $ (409.64 ₡) |
0.74 $ (374.35 ₡) |
-8.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
1.08 $ (551.28 ₡) |
1.29 $ (655.33 ₡) |
+18.9 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
1.08 $ (550.09 ₡) |
1.19 $ (607.93 ₡) |
+10.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
1.06 $ (539.48 ₡) |
1.17 $ (592.99 ₡) |
+9.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
0.88 $ (448.96 ₡) |
1.18 $ (600.95 ₡) |
+33.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
0.99 $ (501.97 ₡) |
1.02 $ (519.44 ₡) |
+3.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1.04 $ (529.52 ₡) |
2.39 $ (1,216.41 ₡) |
+129.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
11.89 $ (6,049.04 ₡) |
14.74 $ (7,500.00 ₡) |
+24.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
1.59 $ (806.54 ₡) |
2.23 $ (1,134.65 ₡) |
+40.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
2.38 $ (1,212.78 ₡) |
2.86 $ (1,454.34 ₡) |
+19.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
4.00 $ (2,035.00 ₡) |
4.91 $ (2,500.00 ₡) |
+22.9 % |
Transportation | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
0.35 $ (178.06 ₡) |
0.98 $ (500.00 ₡) |
+180.8 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
26.25 $ (13,354.68 ₡) |
41.81 $ (21,269.57 ₡) |
+59.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
5.00 $ (2,543.75 ₡) |
1.77 $ (900.00 ₡) |
-64.6 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
4.83 $ (2,456.26 ₡) |
2.88 $ (1,464.50 ₡) |
-40.4 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
10.00 $ (5,087.50 ₡) |
7.32 $ (3,725.00 ₡) |
-26.8 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
4.05 $ (2,060.21 ₡) |
5.72 $ (2,910.86 ₡) |
+41.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
19,000.00 $ (9,666,247.30 ₡) |
31,842.76 $ (16,200,000.00 ₡) |
+67.6 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
22,845.68 $ (11,622,735.89 ₡) |
34,160.07 $ (17,378,930.84 ₡) |
+49.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
84.49 $ (42,986.79 ₡) |
85.94 $ (43,719.49 ₡) |
+1.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
18.50 $ (9,411.45 ₡) |
24.18 $ (12,301.54 ₡) |
+30.7 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
41.58 $ (21,155.51 ₡) |
50.71 $ (25,798.90 ₡) |
+21.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
27.73 $ (14,107.21 ₡) |
54.93 $ (27,946.15 ₡) |
+98.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
21.48 $ (10,930.49 ₡) |
32.76 $ (16,665.13 ₡) |
+52.5 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
5.00 $ (2,543.75 ₡) |
7.86 $ (4,000.00 ₡) |
+57.2 % |
Childcare | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
158.33 $ (80,552.06 ₡) |
478.41 $ (243,391.05 ₡) |
+202.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
4,181.25 $ (2,127,210.34 ₡) |
9,323.55 $ (4,743,356.81 ₡) |
+123.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
64.38 $ (32,754.45 ₡) |
74.57 $ (37,937.10 ₡) |
+15.8 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
52.11 $ (26,511.52 ₡) |
52.02 $ (26,464.28 ₡) |
-0.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
102.78 $ (52,288.18 ₡) |
116.34 $ (59,186.68 ₡) |
+13.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
98.44 $ (50,083.60 ₡) |
101.57 $ (51,672.08 ₡) |
+3.2 % |
Rent Per Month | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
718.93 $ (365,757.88 ₡) |
675.07 $ (343,444.20 ₡) |
-6.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
535.59 $ (272,481.34 ₡) |
475.82 $ (242,072.97 ₡) |
-11.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
994.23 $ (505,814.76 ₡) |
1,276.06 $ (649,192.99 ₡) |
+28.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
848.11 $ (431,473.72 ₡) |
898.88 $ (457,302.84 ₡) |
+6.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
143.48 $ (72,993.74 ₡) |
176.44 $ (89,761.52 ₡) |
+23.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
96.23 $ (48,957.17 ₡) |
119.81 $ (60,951.79 ₡) |
+24.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | El Salvador Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
426.67 $ (217,066.61 ₡) |
906.70 $ (461,282.96 ₡) |
+112.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 10.88 | 9.86 | -9.5 % |
| Last update: | April 2024 | April 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 36 | 129 |
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