Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Costa Rica 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Costa Rica is 17.3% lower than in United Kingdom (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Costa Rica is 24.0% lower than in United Kingdom | |
| Rent Prices in Costa Rica are 40.9% lower than in United Kingdom | |
| Restaurant Prices in Costa Rica are 28.4% lower than in United Kingdom | |
| Groceries Prices in Costa Rica are 0.5% higher than in United Kingdom | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Costa Rica is 57.1% lower than in United Kingdom | |
Restaurants | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
15.00 £ (9,703.32 ₡) |
7.73 £ (5,000.00 ₡) |
-48.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
65.00 £ (42,047.72 ₡) |
46.35 £ (29,982.06 ₡) |
-28.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
7.50 £ (4,851.66 ₡) |
7.73 £ (5,000.00 ₡) |
+3.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
5.00 £ (3,234.44 ₡) |
2.32 £ (1,500.00 ₡) |
-53.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
4.50 £ (2,911.00 ₡) |
3.52 £ (2,274.33 ₡) |
-21.9 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
3.38 £ (2,184.76 ₡) |
3.04 £ (1,964.44 ₡) |
-10.1 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
1.77 £ (1,144.19 ₡) |
1.69 £ (1,092.07 ₡) |
-4.6 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
1.26 £ (812.76 ₡) |
1.29 £ (833.58 ₡) |
+2.6 % |
Markets | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
4.70 £ (3,040.56 ₡) |
5.86 £ (3,788.34 ₡) |
+24.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
1.12 £ (726.64 ₡) |
2.20 £ (1,420.15 ₡) |
+95.4 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
0.75 £ (482.85 ₡) |
0.83 £ (534.60 ₡) |
+10.7 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
2.96 £ (1,917.26 ₡) |
2.64 £ (1,707.27 ₡) |
-11.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
3.25 £ (2,104.09 ₡) |
3.17 £ (2,051.35 ₡) |
-2.5 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
2.99 £ (1,937.27 ₡) |
3.32 £ (2,148.82 ₡) |
+10.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
4.70 £ (3,040.75 ₡) |
4.67 £ (3,017.89 ₡) |
-0.8 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
0.99 £ (639.00 ₡) |
1.56 £ (1,006.82 ₡) |
+57.6 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
0.54 £ (350.89 ₡) |
0.57 £ (369.39 ₡) |
+5.3 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
0.97 £ (624.45 ₡) |
1.12 £ (721.67 ₡) |
+15.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
1.19 £ (767.84 ₡) |
1.07 £ (690.67 ₡) |
-10.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
0.55 £ (352.88 ₡) |
1.03 £ (665.79 ₡) |
+88.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
0.51 £ (332.39 ₡) |
0.99 £ (638.51 ₡) |
+92.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
0.83 £ (536.60 ₡) |
0.79 £ (512.77 ₡) |
-4.4 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1.12 £ (726.46 ₡) |
1.92 £ (1,243.91 ₡) |
+71.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
8.00 £ (5,175.10 ₡) |
12.37 £ (8,000.00 ₡) |
+54.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
2.06 £ (1,335.77 ₡) |
1.85 £ (1,196.26 ₡) |
-10.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
2.45 £ (1,586.50 ₡) |
2.16 £ (1,399.19 ₡) |
-11.8 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
14.60 £ (9,444.57 ₡) |
3.86 £ (2,500.00 ₡) |
-73.5 % |
Transportation | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
2.40 £ (1,552.53 ₡) |
0.77 £ (500.00 ₡) |
-67.8 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
70.00 £ (45,282.16 ₡) |
35.40 £ (22,900.00 ₡) |
-49.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
3.85 £ (2,490.52 ₡) |
1.41 £ (910.00 ₡) |
-63.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
2.74 £ (1,769.81 ₡) |
2.49 £ (1,608.38 ₡) |
-9.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 £ (12,937.76 ₡) |
5.94 £ (3,845.00 ₡) |
-70.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
5.47 £ (3,538.57 ₡) |
4.38 £ (2,832.73 ₡) |
-19.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
28,285.00 £ (18,297,228.16 ₡) |
28,211.99 £ (18,250,000.00 ₡) |
-0.3 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
29,735.51 £ (19,235,544.08 ₡) |
27,491.20 £ (17,783,730.75 ₡) |
-7.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
239.06 £ (154,642.48 ₡) |
68.79 £ (44,498.45 ₡) |
-71.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
12.78 £ (8,264.76 ₡) |
20.23 £ (13,085.40 ₡) |
+58.3 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
30.97 £ (20,033.29 ₡) |
42.15 £ (27,268.89 ₡) |
+36.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
33.82 £ (21,875.46 ₡) |
44.66 £ (28,887.36 ₡) |
+32.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
11.47 £ (7,419.65 ₡) |
23.66 £ (15,308.33 ₡) |
+106.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
10.00 £ (6,468.88 ₡) |
6.18 £ (4,000.00 ₡) |
-38.2 % |
Childcare | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
1,245.49 £ (805,695.56 ₡) |
425.61 £ (275,325.13 ₡) |
-65.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
15,402.61 £ (9,963,766.58 ₡) |
7,665.50 £ (4,958,720.22 ₡) |
-50.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
65.18 £ (42,165.96 ₡) |
57.13 £ (36,957.61 ₡) |
-12.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
32.66 £ (21,126.94 ₡) |
43.19 £ (27,940.55 ₡) |
+32.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
74.64 £ (48,283.45 ₡) |
95.33 £ (61,668.86 ₡) |
+27.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
75.83 £ (49,055.21 ₡) |
83.37 £ (53,930.88 ₡) |
+9.9 % |
Rent Per Month | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
1,032.11 £ (667,658.31 ₡) |
606.66 £ (392,443.21 ₡) |
-41.2 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
838.11 £ (542,163.77 ₡) |
409.36 £ (264,809.53 ₡) |
-51.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
1,732.29 £ (1,120,595.18 ₡) |
1,131.43 £ (731,910.65 ₡) |
-34.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
1,361.58 £ (880,786.81 ₡) |
785.09 £ (507,866.55 ₡) |
-42.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
447.61 £ (289,552.37 ₡) |
193.23 £ (124,997.90 ₡) |
-56.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
352.92 £ (228,297.77 ₡) |
104.11 £ (67,344.63 ₡) |
-70.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
2,383.96 £ (1,542,154.33 ₡) |
777.08 £ (502,685.41 ₡) |
-67.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.77 | 10.29 | +78.3 % |
| Last update: | March 2025 | March 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 2879 | 111 |
Other comparisons United Kingdom vs Costa Rica:
- Quality of Life Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica
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- Property Prices Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica
- Traffic Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica