Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Thailand 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Thailand is 34.6% lower than in Costa Rica (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Thailand is 34.2% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Rent Prices in Thailand are 32.8% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Restaurant Prices in Thailand are 54.6% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Groceries Prices in Thailand are 30.1% lower than in Costa Rica | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Thailand is 7.9% lower than in Costa Rica | |
Restaurants | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
5,000.00 ₡ (343.17 ฿) |
1,457.01 ₡ (100.00 ฿) |
-70.9 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
30,000.00 ₡ (2,059.01 ฿) |
13,113.10 ₡ (900.00 ฿) |
-56.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
5,000.00 ₡ (343.17 ฿) |
3,034.18 ₡ (208.25 ฿) |
-39.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
1,500.00 ₡ (102.95 ฿) |
1,019.91 ₡ (70.00 ฿) |
-32.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
2,400.00 ₡ (164.72 ฿) |
1,748.41 ₡ (120.00 ฿) |
-27.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
1,993.43 ₡ (136.82 ฿) |
1,027.56 ₡ (70.53 ฿) |
-48.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
1,096.11 ₡ (75.23 ฿) |
331.41 ₡ (22.75 ฿) |
-69.8 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
846.30 ₡ (58.08 ฿) |
159.15 ₡ (10.92 ฿) |
-81.2 % |
Markets | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
3,797.89 ₡ (260.66 ฿) |
3,323.22 ₡ (228.09 ฿) |
-12.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
1,446.52 ₡ (99.28 ฿) |
592.25 ₡ (40.65 ฿) |
-59.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
541.52 ₡ (37.17 ฿) |
278.09 ₡ (19.09 ฿) |
-48.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
1,713.41 ₡ (117.60 ฿) |
1,018.58 ₡ (69.91 ฿) |
-40.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
2,104.28 ₡ (144.42 ฿) |
3,779.19 ₡ (259.38 ฿) |
+79.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
2,146.49 ₡ (147.32 ฿) |
618.65 ₡ (42.46 ฿) |
-71.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
3,005.95 ₡ (206.31 ฿) |
2,230.34 ₡ (153.08 ฿) |
-25.8 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
999.75 ₡ (68.62 ฿) |
638.10 ₡ (43.80 ฿) |
-36.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
369.78 ₡ (25.38 ฿) |
291.26 ₡ (19.99 ฿) |
-21.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
731.52 ₡ (50.21 ฿) |
440.58 ₡ (30.24 ฿) |
-39.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
691.16 ₡ (47.44 ฿) |
347.15 ₡ (23.83 ฿) |
-49.8 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
676.76 ₡ (46.45 ฿) |
326.75 ₡ (22.43 ฿) |
-51.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
644.99 ₡ (44.27 ฿) |
277.93 ₡ (19.08 ฿) |
-56.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
506.25 ₡ (34.75 ฿) |
541.74 ₡ (37.18 ฿) |
+7.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1,243.91 ₡ (85.37 ฿) |
243.67 ₡ (16.72 ฿) |
-80.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
8,000.00 ₡ (549.07 ฿) |
8,742.07 ₡ (600.00 ฿) |
+9.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
1,173.30 ₡ (80.53 ฿) |
847.43 ₡ (58.16 ฿) |
-27.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
1,377.59 ₡ (94.55 ฿) |
1,427.48 ₡ (97.97 ฿) |
+3.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
2,500.00 ₡ (171.58 ฿) |
2,112.67 ₡ (145.00 ฿) |
-15.5 % |
Transportation | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
500.00 ₡ (34.32 ฿) |
364.25 ₡ (25.00 ฿) |
-27.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
25,000.00 ₡ (1,715.84 ฿) |
15,779.43 ₡ (1,083.00 ฿) |
-36.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
910.00 ₡ (62.46 ฿) |
523.54 ₡ (35.93 ฿) |
-42.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
1,609.34 ₡ (110.46 ฿) |
937.93 ₡ (64.37 ฿) |
-41.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
3,845.00 ₡ (263.90 ฿) |
2,914.02 ₡ (200.00 ฿) |
-24.2 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
2,834.48 ₡ (194.54 ฿) |
2,296.66 ₡ (157.63 ฿) |
-19.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
18,250,000.00 ₡ (1,252,564.08 ฿) |
13,222,377.46 ₡ (907,500.00 ฿) |
-27.5 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
17,845,647.45 ₡ (1,224,811.88 ฿) |
13,422,416.02 ₡ (921,229.38 ฿) |
-24.8 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
44,615.18 ₡ (3,062.10 ฿) |
38,624.40 ₡ (2,650.93 ฿) |
-13.4 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
12,909.67 ₡ (886.04 ฿) |
6,608.56 ₡ (453.57 ฿) |
-48.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
27,513.62 ₡ (1,888.36 ฿) |
8,394.53 ₡ (576.15 ฿) |
-69.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
28,779.99 ₡ (1,975.28 ฿) |
23,757.89 ₡ (1,630.59 ฿) |
-17.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
15,308.33 ₡ (1,050.67 ฿) |
4,712.41 ₡ (323.43 ฿) |
-69.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
4,000.00 ₡ (274.53 ฿) |
3,496.83 ₡ (240.00 ฿) |
-12.6 % |
Childcare | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
275,534.56 ₡ (18,910.94 ฿) |
189,929.57 ₡ (13,035.56 ฿) |
-31.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
4,874,637.20 ₡ (334,564.13 ฿) |
6,119,408.64 ₡ (419,997.34 ฿) |
+25.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
36,975.32 ₡ (2,537.75 ฿) |
22,476.83 ₡ (1,542.67 ฿) |
-39.2 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
27,564.32 ₡ (1,891.84 ฿) |
16,115.36 ₡ (1,106.06 ฿) |
-41.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
62,702.56 ₡ (4,303.51 ฿) |
44,483.63 ₡ (3,053.07 ฿) |
-29.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
54,034.68 ₡ (3,708.60 ฿) |
35,512.01 ₡ (2,437.32 ฿) |
-34.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
391,208.76 ₡ (26,850.08 ฿) |
234,626.77 ₡ (16,103.29 ฿) |
-40.0 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
267,052.89 ₡ (18,328.81 ฿) |
129,852.98 ₡ (8,912.28 ฿) |
-51.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
736,686.65 ₡ (50,561.49 ฿) |
586,487.82 ₡ (40,252.80 ฿) |
-20.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
504,809.44 ₡ (34,646.91 ฿) |
324,907.64 ₡ (22,299.60 ฿) |
-35.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
125,295.78 ₡ (8,599.51 ฿) |
179,414.49 ₡ (12,313.87 ฿) |
+43.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
69,997.39 ₡ (4,804.18 ฿) |
96,409.50 ₡ (6,616.94 ฿) |
+37.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Costa Rica Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
513,154.97 ₡ (35,219.70 ฿) |
311,057.77 ₡ (21,349.03 ฿) |
-39.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 10.29 | 5.70 | -44.6 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 114 | 566 |
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