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 3,381.0$ (1,680,824.3₡), excluding rent.
The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 910.8$ (452,809.1₡), excluding rent.
Cost of living in Costa Rica is, on average, 21.9% lower than in United States.
Rent in Costa Rica is, on average, 53.2% lower than in United States.

Restaurants	Edit	Range
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant	5,000.00 ₡	3,183.38-10,000.00
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks)	29,827.99 ₡	18,000.00-50,000.00
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 ₡	994.27-2,500.00
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	2,200.00 ₡	1,500.00-3,000.00
Cappuccino (Regular Size)	1,975.54 ₡	1,100.00-3,479.93
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle)	1,060.80 ₡	785.00-1,600.00
Bottled Water (12 oz)	850.07 ₡	600.00-1,491.40
Markets	Edit
Milk (Regular, 1 Liter)	1,054.27 ₡	700.00-1,500.00
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf)	1,441.12 ₡	566.99-2,540.12
White Rice (1 lb)	562.89 ₡	408.23-901.98
Eggs (12, Large Size)	1,673.15 ₡	974.40-2,800.00
Local Cheese (1 lb)	2,097.23 ₡	907.19-4,200.00
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	2,140.51 ₡	1,133.98-2,902.99
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb)	2,994.90 ₡	2,041.17-4,509.92
Apples (1 lb)	1,008.57 ₡	453.59-1,814.37
Bananas (1 lb)	349.77 ₡	225.50-680.39
Oranges (1 lb)	746.60 ₡	226.80-1,360.78
Tomatoes (1 lb)	703.51 ₡	317.52-997.90
Potatoes (1 lb)	671.12 ₡	312.98-1,133.98
Onions (1 lb)	638.13 ₡	362.87-1,038.73
Lettuce (1 Head)	502.10 ₡	330.00-800.00
Bottled Water (50 oz)	1,243.12 ₡	875.00-1,988.53
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	7,500.00 ₡	4,971.33-13,000.00
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle)	1,199.49 ₡	800.00-1,571.43
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	1,427.94 ₡	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 ₡	450.00-700.00
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price)	30,000.00 ₡	17,533.89-39,000.00
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff)	950.00 ₡	700.00-1,500.00
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff)	1,504.74 ₡	1,126.54-2,000.00
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff)	4,971.33 ₡	3,000.00-43,500.00
Gasoline (1 Liter)	735.38 ₡	662.00-850.00
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car)	18,225,000.00 ₡	15,000,000.00-19,885,328.60
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car)	17,920,878.06 ₡	17,000,000.00-20,000,000.00
Utilities (Monthly)	Edit
Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage)	44,894.49 ₡	25,904.76-100,000.00
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data)	13,715.04 ₡	10,000.00-25,000.00
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher)	27,048.82 ₡	20,000.00-40,000.00
Sports And Leisure	Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership	28,601.12 ₡	17,399.66-50,000.00
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	262,813.17 ₡	173,996.63-434,150.00
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child	5,298,438.78 ₡	3,240,000.00-9,786,000.00
Clothing And Shoes	Edit
Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar)	36,666.25 ₡	20,000.00-50,000.00
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M)	26,887.95 ₡	10,000.00-45,000.00
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	59,787.03 ₡	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	414,812.59 ₡	200,000.00-888,531.22
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	281,154.20 ₡	170,000.00-497,133.22
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre	758,322.21 ₡	450,000.00-1,242,833.04
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	500,003.14 ₡	300,000.00-994,266.43
Buy Apartment Price	Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	118,331.44 ₡	55,421.76-230,000.32
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	65,095.05 ₡	37,866.74-92,902.27
Salaries And Financing	Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	508,748.65 ₡
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %)	10.38	7.50-15.00

Prices in Costa Rica

This country had 1791 entries in the past 12 months by 153 different contributors.
Last update: 28 November 2025
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.

Sources and References