MigrantoCost of living in Costa Rica
Average monthly spending, by standard of living, by category, and against other countries
Monthly cost
CRC 349,000
what a typical person spends
Spending by standard of living
CRC 117,000richest 20%
CRC 1,290,000
Costa Rica runs on tourism and services, and a lot of what you'd put in your cart or your home comes in from abroad — that import bill quietly lifts the price of ordinary days. It's a settled, comfortable place to fund a life, though the gap between those living easily and those scraping by is about as wide as it gets.
Where people spend money in Costa Rica
The heaviest line in a Costa Rican month is the grocery bill, and it costs more than you'd expect because so much food is shipped in rather than grown for the local market. Keeping a roof over your head and getting around take their share too, but those you can shape — the food bill is the one that barely moves.
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What it costs to live in Costa Rica
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Cost of living in Costa Rica
CRC 117,000/mo
vs CRC 366,000 in your country
Take-home
CRC 381,000
vs CRC 549,000 in your country
Potential savings
CRC 264,000
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How living costs in Costa Rica compare
Set against the rest of the world, a life in Costa Rica costs more than most, and within Latin America it sits near the top rather than the middle. That's the trade-off for one of the region's more stable, higher-earning economies — you pay closer to rich-world prices for the comfort and the calm.
Data source: household consumption 2024 (World Bank), International Comparison Program 2021 (World Bank), category breakdown 2021 (United Nations Statistics Division), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of living in Costa Rica?
A typical person in Costa Rica spends about CRC 349,000 a month — around CRC 4,190,000 a year — on housing, groceries, transport and other everyday costs. It's a nationwide average across different regions, cities and types of housing.
What is the cost of living in Costa Rica in US dollars?
The cost of living in Costa Rica is about $763 a month, or roughly $9,156 a year per person.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Costa Rica?
It all depends on your standard of living. A modest budget runs about CRC 117,000 a month per person, a typical one around CRC 349,000, and a comfortable life around CRC 552,000. In big cities and for a family, costs are usually higher.
What do people spend the most on in Costa Rica?
The biggest expense is groceries, at about CRC 78,700 a month (23% of spending). Then come housing (CRC 55,400, 16%) and transport (CRC 42,600, 12%).
Is the average salary in Costa Rica enough to live on?
Yes, with room to spare. Average spending is about CRC 349,000 a month, while the average take-home pay in Costa Rica is about CRC 536,000. For more on incomes, see salaries in Costa Rica.
Is Costa Rica an expensive country to live in?
Yes. Costa Rica is more expensive than 67% of countries worldwide and ranks 10th of 33 in Latin America by cost of living.
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Living in Costa Rica
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