Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Costa Rica 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Costa Rica is 17.4% lower than in United Kingdom (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Costa Rica is 24.2% lower than in United Kingdom | |
| Rent Prices in Costa Rica are 41.2% lower than in United Kingdom | |
| Restaurant Prices in Costa Rica are 28.4% lower than in United Kingdom | |
| Groceries Prices in Costa Rica are 0.3% lower 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 |
19.42 $ (15.00 £) |
9.96 $ (5,000.00 ₡) |
-48.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
84.16 $ (65.00 £) |
59.74 $ (30,000.00 ₡) |
-29.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
9.71 $ (7.50 £) |
9.96 $ (5,000.00 ₡) |
+2.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
6.47 $ (5.00 £) |
2.99 $ (1,500.00 ₡) |
-53.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
5.83 $ (4.50 £) |
4.78 $ (2,400.00 ₡) |
-18.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
4.38 $ (3.39 £) |
3.97 $ (1,993.12 ₡) |
-9.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
2.29 $ (1.77 £) |
2.18 $ (1,095.47 ₡) |
-4.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
1.63 $ (1.26 £) |
1.68 $ (845.32 ₡) |
+3.3 % |
Markets | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
6.08 $ (4.70 £) |
7.56 $ (3,796.91 ₡) |
+24.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
1.45 $ (1.12 £) |
2.88 $ (1,445.77 ₡) |
+98.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
0.96 $ (0.74 £) |
1.08 $ (541.22 ₡) |
+12.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
3.84 $ (2.96 £) |
3.41 $ (1,712.54 ₡) |
-11.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
4.22 $ (3.26 £) |
4.09 $ (2,051.70 ₡) |
-3.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
3.88 $ (3.00 £) |
4.27 $ (2,145.78 ₡) |
+10.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
6.10 $ (4.71 £) |
5.99 $ (3,005.95 ₡) |
-1.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1.28 $ (0.99 £) |
1.99 $ (999.75 ₡) |
+55.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
0.71 $ (0.55 £) |
0.74 $ (369.52 ₡) |
+4.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
1.25 $ (0.96 £) |
1.46 $ (731.33 ₡) |
+16.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
1.54 $ (1.19 £) |
1.38 $ (691.01 ₡) |
-10.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
0.71 $ (0.55 £) |
1.33 $ (665.48 ₡) |
+87.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
0.67 $ (0.51 £) |
1.28 $ (644.64 ₡) |
+92.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
1.08 $ (0.83 £) |
1.01 $ (505.79 ₡) |
-6.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1.45 $ (1.12 £) |
2.48 $ (1,243.91 ₡) |
+70.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
10.36 $ (8.00 £) |
15.93 $ (8,000.00 ₡) |
+53.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
2.68 $ (2.07 £) |
2.34 $ (1,172.85 ₡) |
-12.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
3.18 $ (2.45 £) |
2.74 $ (1,377.11 ₡) |
-13.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
19.13 $ (14.78 £) |
4.98 $ (2,500.00 ₡) |
-74.0 % |
Transportation | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
3.11 $ (2.40 £) |
1.00 $ (500.00 ₡) |
-68.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
90.63 $ (70.00 £) |
49.78 $ (25,000.00 ₡) |
-45.1 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
4.92 $ (3.80 £) |
1.81 $ (910.00 ₡) |
-63.2 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
3.54 $ (2.74 £) |
3.20 $ (1,609.34 ₡) |
-9.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
25.89 $ (20.00 £) |
7.66 $ (3,845.00 ₡) |
-70.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
7.07 $ (5.46 £) |
5.64 $ (2,833.28 ₡) |
-20.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
36,621.57 $ (28,285.00 £) |
36,339.28 $ (18,250,000.00 ₡) |
-0.8 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
38,563.77 $ (29,785.07 £) |
35,449.74 $ (17,803,262.39 ₡) |
-8.1 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
307.54 $ (237.53 £) |
88.77 $ (44,581.45 ₡) |
-71.1 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
16.57 $ (12.80 £) |
26.06 $ (13,087.10 ₡) |
+57.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
40.16 $ (31.02 £) |
54.74 $ (27,489.22 ₡) |
+36.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
43.97 $ (33.96 £) |
57.56 $ (28,906.16 ₡) |
+30.9 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
15.03 $ (11.61 £) |
30.48 $ (15,308.33 ₡) |
+102.9 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
12.95 $ (10.00 £) |
7.96 $ (4,000.00 ₡) |
-38.5 % |
Childcare | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
1,618.49 $ (1,250.06 £) |
548.36 $ (275,391.19 ₡) |
-66.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
19,934.08 $ (15,396.26 £) |
9,888.52 $ (4,966,129.05 ₡) |
-50.4 % |
Clothing And Shoes | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
85.03 $ (65.68 £) |
73.60 $ (36,964.42 ₡) |
-13.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
42.47 $ (32.80 £) |
55.43 $ (27,836.38 ₡) |
+30.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
96.86 $ (74.81 £) |
124.74 $ (62,644.33 ₡) |
+28.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
98.35 $ (75.96 £) |
107.45 $ (53,963.63 ₡) |
+9.3 % |
Rent Per Month | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
1,338.51 $ (1,033.81 £) |
788.61 $ (396,048.35 ₡) |
-41.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
1,086.03 $ (838.81 £) |
529.09 $ (265,714.23 ₡) |
-51.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
2,246.62 $ (1,735.20 £) |
1,460.40 $ (733,428.01 ₡) |
-35.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
1,758.75 $ (1,358.39 £) |
1,000.90 $ (502,665.25 ₡) |
-43.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
574.25 $ (443.52 £) |
249.21 $ (125,155.56 ₡) |
-56.6 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
455.18 $ (351.56 £) |
138.89 $ (69,752.77 ₡) |
-69.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | United Kingdom Edit |
Costa Rica Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
3,080.15 $ (2,378.99 £) |
1,001.65 $ (503,041.30 ₡) |
-67.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 5.77 | 10.29 | +78.5 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | March 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 2875 | 112 |
Other comparisons United Kingdom vs Costa Rica:
- Quality of Life Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica
- Crime Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica
- Health Care Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica
- Pollution Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica
- Property Prices Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica
- Traffic Comparison United Kingdom vs Costa Rica