Cost of living comparison
Costa Rica is 25.8% cheaper than Maryland.
- Restaurants
-
pay 22.5% less in Costa Rica
- Groceries
-
pay 20.3% less in Costa Rica
- Transportation
-
pay 8.1% more in Costa Rica
- Housing
-
pay 52.3% less in Costa Rica
- Childcare
-
pay 66.0% less in Costa Rica
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 36.2% less in Costa Rica
- Clothing
-
pay 8.6% more in Costa Rica
The cost of clothing and transportation in Costa Rica are more expensive than in Maryland. Expenses including childcare, housing, entertainment and sports, restaurants, and groceries are lower in Costa Rica.
If you lived in Costa Rica instead of Maryland, you would:
pay 22.5% less for restaurants
|
Maryland
|
Costa Rica
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$18.52
|
$9.75
CRC4,960.41
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.32
|
$9.08
CRC4,621.51
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.35
|
$2.01
CRC1,023.18
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$2.01
|
$1.49
CRC759.04
|
|
pay 20.3% less for groceries
|
Maryland
|
Costa Rica
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.64
|
$2.53
CRC1,288.62
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$6.32
|
$3.76
CRC1,914.83
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$3.96
|
$6.98
CRC3,550.00
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$3.43
|
$3.21
CRC1,634.68
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.53
|
$3.97
CRC2,020.77
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.77
|
$1.79
CRC910.60
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.78
|
$0.62
CRC313.93
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.48
|
$1.22
CRC619.02
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.42
|
$1.22
CRC621.69
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.76
|
$1.09
CRC556.88
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.32
|
$1.11
CRC566.77
|
|
pay 8.1% more for transportation
|
Maryland
|
Costa Rica
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$3.38
|
$5.63
CRC2,863.57
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$100.44
|
$49.00
CRC24,935.34
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$27,215.38
|
$35,063.37
CRC17,843,584.03
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$17.66
|
$15.62
CRC7,950.08
|
|
pay 52.3% less for housing
|
Maryland
|
Costa Rica
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$74.60
|
$48.50
CRC24,681.64
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,887.47
|
$778.04
CRC395,939.69
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,554.10
|
$547.50
CRC278,621.84
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$137.97
|
$68.26
CRC34,736.03
|
|
pay 66.0% less for childcare
|
Maryland
|
Costa Rica
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$1,794.91
|
$519.07
CRC264,151.03
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$28,176.36
|
$10,987.74
CRC5,591,610.53
|
|
pay 36.2% less for entertainment and sports
|
Maryland
|
Costa Rica
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$5.98
|
$2.73
CRC1,387.84
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$4.95
|
$3.65
CRC1,859.63
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$10.40
|
$4.58
CRC2,331.92
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$61.66
|
$59.46
CRC30,259.21
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$14.62
|
$8.63
CRC4,389.69
|
|
pay 8.6% more for clothing
|
Maryland
|
Costa Rica
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$50.07
|
$65.32
CRC33,242.90
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$39.27
|
$44.54
CRC22,666.37
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$97.44
|
$110.39
CRC56,174.67
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$125.81
|
$97.22
CRC49,473.20
|
|
Change currency:
Compare countries by overall cost of living
Help us improve these prices
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Costa Rica or Maryland. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.