Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Costa Rica 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Costa Rica is 21.2% lower than in Germany (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Costa Rica is 21.6% lower than in Germany | |
| Rent Prices in Costa Rica are 23.0% lower than in Germany | |
| Restaurant Prices in Costa Rica are 25.1% lower than in Germany | |
| Groceries Prices in Costa Rica are 8.7% lower than in Germany | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Costa Rica is 63.6% lower than in Germany | |
Restaurants | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant |
15.00 € (8,649.57 ₡) |
8.67 € (5,000.00 ₡) |
-42.2 % |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) |
65.00 € (37,481.45 ₡) |
51.73 € (29,827.99 ₡) |
-20.4 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) |
10.00 € (5,766.38 ₡) |
8.67 € (5,000.00 ₡) |
-13.3 % |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) |
4.50 € (2,594.87 ₡) |
2.60 € (1,500.00 ₡) |
-42.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
4.00 € (2,306.55 ₡) |
3.82 € (2,200.00 ₡) |
-4.6 % |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) |
3.55 € (2,049.09 ₡) |
3.43 € (1,975.62 ₡) |
-3.6 % |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) |
2.95 € (1,703.79 ₡) |
1.84 € (1,060.80 ₡) |
-37.7 % |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) |
2.59 € (1,495.56 ₡) |
1.47 € (850.09 ₡) |
-43.2 % |
Markets | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) |
1.12 € (646.17 ₡) |
1.83 € (1,054.27 ₡) |
+63.2 % |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) |
1.74 € (1,000.73 ₡) |
2.50 € (1,441.12 ₡) |
+44.0 % |
| White Rice (1 lb) |
1.35 € (779.67 ₡) |
0.98 € (562.89 ₡) |
-27.8 % |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) |
3.32 € (1,911.76 ₡) |
2.90 € (1,673.15 ₡) |
-12.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
5.84 € (3,365.02 ₡) |
3.64 € (2,097.23 ₡) |
-37.7 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
5.00 € (2,885.71 ₡) |
3.71 € (2,140.51 ₡) |
-25.8 % |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) |
8.03 € (4,630.46 ₡) |
5.19 € (2,994.90 ₡) |
-35.3 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1.32 € (759.94 ₡) |
1.75 € (1,008.57 ₡) |
+32.7 % |
| Bananas (1 lb) |
0.77 € (446.01 ₡) |
0.61 € (349.77 ₡) |
-21.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
0.90 € (518.48 ₡) |
1.29 € (746.60 ₡) |
+44.0 % |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
1.89 € (1,091.16 ₡) |
1.22 € (703.51 ₡) |
-35.5 % |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
0.62 € (354.79 ₡) |
1.16 € (671.12 ₡) |
+89.2 % |
| Onions (1 lb) |
0.58 € (332.33 ₡) |
1.11 € (638.13 ₡) |
+92.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 Head) |
1.58 € (908.49 ₡) |
0.87 € (502.10 ₡) |
-44.7 % |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) |
0.95 € (546.21 ₡) |
2.16 € (1,243.12 ₡) |
+127.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
5.99 € (3,454.06 ₡) |
13.01 € (7,500.00 ₡) |
+117.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) |
0.93 € (536.18 ₡) |
2.08 € (1,199.49 ₡) |
+123.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
1.36 € (786.44 ₡) |
2.48 € (1,427.94 ₡) |
+81.6 % |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) |
8.70 € (5,016.75 ₡) |
4.34 € (2,500.00 ₡) |
-50.2 % |
Transportation | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) |
3.20 € (1,845.24 ₡) |
0.87 € (500.00 ₡) |
-72.9 % |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) |
58.00 € (33,444.99 ₡) |
52.03 € (30,000.00 ₡) |
-10.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) |
4.90 € (2,825.52 ₡) |
1.65 € (950.00 ₡) |
-66.4 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) |
4.02 € (2,320.02 ₡) |
2.61 € (1,504.74 ₡) |
-35.1 % |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) |
33.00 € (19,029.04 ₡) |
8.62 € (4,971.33 ₡) |
-73.9 % |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) |
1.71 € (985.39 ₡) |
1.28 € (735.38 ₡) |
-25.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) |
27,180.00 € (15,673,013.14 ₡) |
31,605.63 € (18,225,000.00 ₡) |
+16.3 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) |
33,570.55 € (19,358,046.43 ₡) |
31,078.23 € (17,920,878.06 ₡) |
-7.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) |
302.84 € (174,631.13 ₡) |
77.86 € (44,894.49 ₡) |
-74.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) |
23.33 € (13,450.58 ₡) |
23.78 € (13,715.04 ₡) |
+2.0 % |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) |
43.23 € (24,930.01 ₡) |
46.91 € (27,048.82 ₡) |
+8.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership |
35.41 € (20,417.63 ₡) |
49.60 € (28,601.12 ₡) |
+40.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) |
23.20 € (13,379.33 ₡) |
26.98 € (15,558.33 ₡) |
+16.3 % |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) |
12.00 € (6,919.65 ₡) |
7.80 € (4,500.00 ₡) |
-35.0 % |
Childcare | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child |
419.74 € (242,035.10 ₡) |
455.77 € (262,813.17 ₡) |
+8.6 % |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child |
14,543.73 € (8,386,463.21 ₡) |
9,188.51 € (5,298,438.78 ₡) |
-36.8 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) |
80.48 € (46,406.10 ₡) |
63.59 € (36,666.25 ₡) |
-21.0 % |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) |
38.13 € (21,989.80 ₡) |
46.63 € (26,887.95 ₡) |
+22.3 % |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
88.46 € (51,009.65 ₡) |
103.68 € (59,787.03 ₡) |
+17.2 % |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes |
114.31 € (65,913.88 ₡) |
88.19 € (50,854.17 ₡) |
-22.8 % |
Rent Per Month | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
867.86 € (500,440.81 ₡) |
719.38 € (414,822.45 ₡) |
-17.1 % |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
665.79 € (383,916.87 ₡) |
487.60 € (281,167.85 ₡) |
-26.8 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
1,622.14 € (935,384.47 ₡) |
1,315.11 € (758,343.87 ₡) |
-18.9 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
1,246.60 € (718,839.27 ₡) |
867.10 € (500,003.14 ₡) |
-30.4 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
505.18 € (291,305.72 ₡) |
205.21 € (118,332.59 ₡) |
-59.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
394.30 € (227,368.45 ₡) |
112.89 € (65,095.45 ₡) |
-71.4 % |
Salaries And Financing | Germany Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
2,957.64 € (1,705,486.80 ₡) |
843.86 € (486,603.95 ₡) |
-71.5 % |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 3.96 | 10.38 | +162.1 % |
| Last update: | 30 November 2025 | 30 November 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 3506 | 153 |
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