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 2,886.7€ (1,670,062.3₡), excluding rent.
The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 792.4€ (458,421.6₡), excluding rent.
Cost of living in Costa Rica is, on average, 23.0% lower than in United States.
Rent in Costa Rica is, on average, 55.9% lower than in United States.

Restaurants	Edit	Range
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	8.64 €	6.05-17.29
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	51.86 €	31.11-89.88
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	8.64 €	7.78-10.37
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught)	2.59 €	1.73-4.40
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	3.96 €	2.59-5.28
Cappuccino (regular)	3.47 €	1.76-6.05
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle)	1.88 €	1.38-2.77
Water (12 oz small bottle)	1.47 €	1.04-2.25
Markets	Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon)	6.68 €	4.06-9.81
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb)	2.51 €	0.98-4.39
Rice (white), (1 lb)	0.98 €	0.71-1.57
Eggs (regular) (12)	2.96 €	1.68-5.19
Local Cheese (1 lb)	3.56 €	1.57-7.84
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	3.67 €	1.57-5.49
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)	5.26 €	3.53-7.84
Apples (1 lb)	1.78 €	0.78-3.14
Banana (1 lb)	0.64 €	0.37-1.25
Oranges (1 lb)	1.22 €	0.39-2.35
Tomato (1 lb)	1.18 €	0.54-1.72
Potato (1 lb)	1.16 €	0.47-1.96
Onion (1 lb)	1.09 €	0.63-1.73
Lettuce (1 head)	0.88 €	0.52-1.38
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	2.18 €	1.47-3.46
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	13.83 €	8.64-21.80
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	2.01 €	1.27-2.72
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	2.40 €	1.73-3.98
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro)	4.32 €	3.98-5.19
Transportation	Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	0.86 €	0.69-1.21
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	43.21 €	17.29-86.43
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	1.59 €	1.21-2.59
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff)	2.71 €	1.95-3.46
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	6.65 €	5.19-8.64
Gasoline (1 gallon)	4.88 €	4.37-6.10
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	31,891.22 €	27,310.64-34,570.43
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car)	30,526.79 €	29,376.07-34,432.23
Utilities (Monthly)	Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment	75.62 €	44.78-172.85
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data	22.41 €	17.29-43.21
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	47.25 €	29.38-70.36
Sports And Leisure	Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	50.61 €	29.38-95.07
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	25.10 €	8.80-51.86
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	7.78 €	6.05-10.37
Childcare	Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child	478.96 €	345.70-803.76
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child	8,732.55 €	5,558.93-16,593.81
Clothing And Shoes	Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	63.45 €	39.76-87.95
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	47.99 €	20.74-77.78
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	105.35 €	69.14-164.21
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes	92.41 €	43.21-172.85
Rent Per Month	Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	681.31 €	345.70-1,244.54
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	459.35 €	259.28-777.83
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	1,274.59 €	734.62-2,198.81
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	877.78 €	518.56-1,759.05
Buy Apartment Price	Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	208.61 €	98.05-406.91
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	113.88 €	63.69-160.58
Salaries And Financing	Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	875.95 €
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate	10.53	7.50-15.00

Prices in Costa Rica

This country had 1393 entries in the past 12 months by 122 different contributors.
Last update: 22 May 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.

Sources and References