Cost of Living in Costa Rica

Select city in Costa Rica:

Summary of cost of living in Costa Rica:

The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 3,342.3$ (1,679,054.6₡), excluding rent.
The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 900.2$ (452,252.9₡), excluding rent.
Cost of living in Costa Rica is, on average, 22.6% lower than in United States.
Rent in Costa Rica is, on average, 53.4% lower than in United States.

Restaurants	Edit	Range
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant	5,000.00 ₡	3,200.00-10,000.00
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks)	30,000.00 ₡	18,000.00-50,236.87
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal)	5,000.00 ₡	4,550.00-5,500.00
Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint)	1,500.00 ₡	1,000.00-2,500.00
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	2,200.00 ₡	1,500.00-3,014.21
Cappuccino (Regular Size)	1,979.12 ₡	1,100.00-3,500.00
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle)	1,061.41 ₡	785.00-1,600.00
Bottled Water (12 oz)	850.90 ₡	600.00-1,500.00
Markets	Edit
Milk (Regular, 1 Liter)	1,054.21 ₡	700.00-1,500.00
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf)	1,440.54 ₡	544.31-2,540.12
White Rice (1 lb)	561.98 ₡	408.23-907.19
Eggs (12, Large Size)	1,693.33 ₡	974.40-2,800.00
Local Cheese (1 lb)	2,104.46 ₡	907.19-4,200.00
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	2,137.57 ₡	1,133.98-2,962.32
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb)	2,996.84 ₡	2,041.17-4,535.93
Apples (1 lb)	1,008.97 ₡	453.59-1,814.37
Bananas (1 lb)	350.03 ₡	213.19-683.61
Oranges (1 lb)	746.86 ₡	226.80-1,360.78
Tomatoes (1 lb)	702.98 ₡	317.52-997.90
Potatoes (1 lb)	670.67 ₡	272.16-1,133.98
Onions (1 lb)	630.42 ₡	362.87-1,043.26
Lettuce (1 Head)	502.56 ₡	330.00-800.00
Bottled Water (50 oz)	1,243.12 ₡	875.00-2,000.00
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	7,500.00 ₡	5,000.00-13,000.00
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle)	1,197.43 ₡	750.00-1,625.00
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	1,426.09 ₡	900.00-2,500.00
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro)	2,500.00 ₡	2,200.00-2,800.00
Transportation	Edit
One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)	500.00 ₡	400.00-700.00
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price)	29,300.00 ₡	12,559.22-50,000.00
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff)	927.50 ₡	700.00-1,500.00
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff)	1,609.34 ₡	1,126.54-2,092.15
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff)	3,640.00 ₡	3,000.00-5,000.00
Gasoline (1 Liter)	740.28 ₡	666.00-850.00
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car)	18,225,000.00 ₡	15,020,823.23-20,000,000.00
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car)	18,088,065.71 ₡	16,779,113.58-20,000,000.00
Utilities (Monthly)	Edit
Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage)	44,469.14 ₡	25,500.00-100,000.00
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data)	13,626.70 ₡	10,000.00-25,000.00
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher)	27,057.14 ₡	20,000.00-40,189.49
Sports And Leisure	Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership	28,649.96 ₡	17,582.90-50,236.87
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend)	15,558.33 ₡	7,500.00-30,000.00
Cinema Ticket (International Release)	4,500.00 ₡	3,500.00-6,000.00
Childcare	Edit
Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child	263,171.38 ₡	175,829.03-434,150.00
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child	5,053,355.14 ₡	3,216,000.00-9,786,000.00
Clothing And Shoes	Edit
Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar)	36,520.00 ₡	20,000.00-50,000.00
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M)	26,917.26 ₡	10,000.00-45,000.00
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	59,050.85 ₡	40,000.00-90,000.00
Men's Leather Business Shoes	50,854.17 ₡	25,000.00-100,000.00
Rent Per Month	Edit
1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre	416,491.62 ₡	200,000.00-896,467.71
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	282,352.80 ₡	170,000.00-500,000.00
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre	762,190.72 ₡	450,000.00-1,255,921.68
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	501,908.60 ₡	300,000.00-1,004,737.34
Buy Apartment Price	Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	118,656.09 ₡	56,005.43-232,422.52
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	65,338.98 ₡	38,242.53-92,902.27
Salaries And Financing	Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	509,288.65 ₡
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %)	10.38	7.50-15.00

Prices in Costa Rica

This country had 1727 entries in the past 12 months by 151 different contributors.
Last update: 12 November 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.

Sources and References