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 2,942.4€ (1,666,879.2₡), excluding rent.
The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 807.3€ (457,307.2₡), excluding rent.
Cost of living in Costa Rica is, on average, 22.7% lower than in United States.
Rent in Costa Rica is, on average, 55.8% lower than in United States.

Restaurants	Edit	Range
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	8.83 €	6.18-17.65
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	52.96 €	31.77-91.79
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	8.83 €	7.94-10.59
Domestic Beer (1 pint draught)	2.65 €	1.77-4.47
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	3.96 €	2.65-5.37
Cappuccino (regular)	3.52 €	1.79-6.18
Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle)	1.93 €	1.41-2.82
Water (12 oz small bottle)	1.50 €	1.06-2.29
Markets	Edit
Milk (regular), (1 gallon)	6.82 €	4.14-10.02
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb)	2.56 €	1.00-4.48
Rice (white), (1 lb)	1.00 €	0.72-1.60
Eggs (regular) (12)	3.02 €	1.72-5.30
Local Cheese (1 lb)	3.63 €	1.60-8.01
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	3.74 €	1.60-5.60
Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)	5.37 €	3.60-8.01
Apples (1 lb)	1.82 €	0.80-3.20
Banana (1 lb)	0.65 €	0.38-1.28
Oranges (1 lb)	1.25 €	0.40-2.40
Tomato (1 lb)	1.20 €	0.55-1.76
Potato (1 lb)	1.18 €	0.48-2.00
Onion (1 lb)	1.11 €	0.64-1.77
Lettuce (1 head)	0.90 €	0.53-1.41
Water (1.5 liter bottle)	2.22 €	1.50-3.53
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	14.12 €	8.83-22.26
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)	2.05 €	1.30-2.77
Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle)	2.45 €	1.77-4.06
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro)	4.41 €	4.06-5.30
Transportation	Edit
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	0.88 €	0.71-1.24
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	44.13 €	17.65-88.26
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	1.62 €	1.24-2.65
Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff)	2.77 €	1.99-3.53
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	6.79 €	5.30-8.83
Gasoline (1 gallon)	4.99 €	4.46-6.23
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	32,568.60 €	27,890.73-35,304.72
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car)	31,148.82 €	29,886.82-35,163.58
Utilities (Monthly)	Edit
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment	77.21 €	45.73-176.52
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data	22.88 €	17.65-44.13
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	48.23 €	30.01-71.59
Sports And Leisure	Edit
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	51.67 €	30.01-97.09
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	25.63 €	8.95-52.96
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	7.94 €	6.18-10.59
Childcare	Edit
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child	488.96 €	353.05-820.83
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child	8,906.41 €	5,677.00-16,946.26
Clothing And Shoes	Edit
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	64.79 €	40.60-89.48
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...)	48.99 €	21.18-79.44
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	107.56 €	70.61-167.70
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes	94.34 €	44.13-176.52
Rent Per Month	Edit
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	694.27 €	353.05-1,270.97
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	467.72 €	264.79-794.36
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	1,299.50 €	750.23-2,237.04
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	894.98 €	529.57-1,789.63
Buy Apartment Price	Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	212.64 €	99.76-413.99
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	116.07 €	63.95-163.99
Salaries And Financing	Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	893.43 €
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate	10.53	7.50-15.00

Prices in Costa Rica

This country had 1385 entries in the past 12 months by 121 different contributors.
Last update: May 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.

Sources and References