Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Costa Rica 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Costa Rica is 65.4% higher than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Costa Rica is 64.2% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Costa Rica are 60.0% higher than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Costa Rica are 60.5% higher than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Costa Rica are 102.5% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Costa Rica is 50.9% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (4,333.33 ₡) |
184.62 R (5,000.00 ₡) |
+15.4 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (18,958.34 ₡) |
1,107.69 R (30,000.00 ₡) |
+58.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
90.00 R (2,437.50 ₡) |
184.62 R (5,000.00 ₡) |
+105.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (1,083.33 ₡) |
55.38 R (1,500.00 ₡) |
+38.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (1,218.75 ₡) |
88.62 R (2,400.00 ₡) |
+96.9 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.79 R (969.22 ₡) |
73.43 R (1,988.68 ₡) |
+105.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.58 R (476.21 ₡) |
40.29 R (1,091.08 ₡) |
+129.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.64 R (369.34 ₡) |
31.11 R (842.47 ₡) |
+128.1 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.68 R (1,995.38 ₡) |
140.22 R (3,797.61 ₡) |
+90.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.08 R (435.37 ₡) |
53.40 R (1,446.31 ₡) |
+232.2 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.79 R (346.35 ₡) |
19.99 R (541.44 ₡) |
+56.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.63 R (1,100.51 ₡) |
63.26 R (1,713.17 ₡) |
+55.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.77 R (1,672.84 ₡) |
77.69 R (2,104.07 ₡) |
+25.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.05 R (1,003.51 ₡) |
79.25 R (2,146.29 ₡) |
+113.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.56 R (1,477.73 ₡) |
110.99 R (3,005.95 ₡) |
+103.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (334.53 ₡) |
36.91 R (999.75 ₡) |
+198.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (312.51 ₡) |
13.65 R (369.71 ₡) |
+18.3 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (324.55 ₡) |
27.01 R (731.47 ₡) |
+125.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.31 R (333.47 ₡) |
25.52 R (691.12 ₡) |
+107.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.93 R (268.95 ₡) |
24.99 R (676.72 ₡) |
+151.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.50 R (284.50 ₡) |
23.81 R (644.89 ₡) |
+126.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.63 R (504.47 ₡) |
18.69 R (506.13 ₡) |
+0.3 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (458.47 ₡) |
45.93 R (1,243.91 ₡) |
+171.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (2,302.08 ₡) |
295.38 R (8,000.00 ₡) |
+247.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.84 R (645.69 ₡) |
43.32 R (1,173.17 ₡) |
+81.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.53 R (826.91 ₡) |
50.86 R (1,377.45 ₡) |
+66.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (1,408.33 ₡) |
92.31 R (2,500.00 ₡) |
+77.5 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (812.50 ₡) |
18.46 R (500.00 ₡) |
-38.5 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (21,666.67 ₡) |
923.08 R (25,000.00 ₡) |
+15.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (541.67 ₡) |
33.60 R (910.00 ₡) |
+68.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (871.73 ₡) |
59.42 R (1,609.34 ₡) |
+84.6 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (2,302.08 ₡) |
141.97 R (3,845.00 ₡) |
+67.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.68 R (2,347.50 ₡) |
104.65 R (2,834.15 ₡) |
+20.7 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (10,020,835.56 ₡) |
673,846.00 R (18,250,000.00 ₡) |
+82.1 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
421,858.58 R (11,425,339.02 ₡) |
658,482.02 R (17,833,891.88 ₡) |
+56.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.75 R (54,322.36 ₡) |
1,646.98 R (44,605.82 ₡) |
-17.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
568.56 R (15,398.56 ₡) |
476.58 R (12,907.28 ₡) |
-16.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
733.92 R (19,876.94 ₡) |
1,015.64 R (27,506.85 ₡) |
+38.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
564.78 R (15,296.26 ₡) |
1,062.25 R (28,769.37 ₡) |
+88.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
177.53 R (4,808.22 ₡) |
565.23 R (15,308.33 ₡) |
+218.4 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (3,250.00 ₡) |
147.69 R (4,000.00 ₡) |
+23.1 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,417.32 R (92,552.31 ₡) |
10,172.11 R (275,494.79 ₡) |
+197.7 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
80,773.66 R (2,187,620.52 ₡) |
179,812.47 R (4,869,922.10 ₡) |
+122.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
875.17 R (23,702.62 ₡) |
1,365.13 R (36,972.30 ₡) |
+56.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.60 R (14,939.06 ₡) |
1,017.46 R (27,556.18 ₡) |
+84.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,642.40 R (44,481.67 ₡) |
2,314.57 R (62,686.41 ₡) |
+40.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,418.43 R (38,415.94 ₡) |
1,994.40 R (54,014.98 ₡) |
+40.6 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,140.90 R (220,482.83 ₡) |
14,438.33 R (391,038.22 ₡) |
+77.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,582.34 R (178,271.70 ₡) |
9,872.86 R (267,389.89 ₡) |
+50.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,237.06 R (439,753.89 ₡) |
27,167.36 R (735,782.86 ₡) |
+67.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,838.67 R (347,714.17 ₡) |
18,617.16 R (504,214.74 ₡) |
+45.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,720.85 R (46,606.46 ₡) |
4,642.68 R (125,739.41 ₡) |
+169.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,292.20 R (34,997.18 ₡) |
2,582.01 R (69,929.55 ₡) |
+99.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,504.88 R (636,590.55 ₡) |
18,948.59 R (513,191.12 ₡) |
-19.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.55 | 10.29 | -10.8 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 685 | 115 |
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