Cost of living in Costa Rica in 2024

We live in the beach area in Guanacaste. We have lived here 5 years. cost of living has risen significantly. Average rent is around $3000/month + utilities, but it ranges from $1800 on the low end to $25,000 on the high end in gated communities. Electric is the most expensive bill averaging around $300-400/month. Internet is around $50-60 but you could do less. Water is fairly inexpensive and then if you have pool/lawn care thats another $300/month. Groceries are super expensive. We utilize Pricesmart for discount and bulk spending around $700/month there. In town we shop at the farmer’s market, local fruit stand, and several different stores. We could easily spend $200/week locally. So combined, I’d say around $1800/month on food. School tuition is around $8000/year per child. Cars are very expensive. We have a 2014 Prado we picked up two years ago for $46,000 and a 2008 4runner we bought last year for $18,000. I spend $180/week on gas and diesel. Insurance for both is around $1700/year. Home insurance is $1000/year. Private expat health insurance is $6000/year. Plus you’ll have expenses like annual taxes on property and your cars ($2500 for us). I also pay for legal maintenance of my corporations which adds $2000/year. Car care is expensive. Other costs like fumigacion, air conditioner cleaning and servicing, vet care are optional but we pay for these also. I’d say budget an extra $5000/year and that’s definitely on the low side. Vet care is not terribly expensive but flea/tick and heartworm meds are. And even though you medicate monthly, heartworm will breakthrough and that is a long expensive treatment. We’re in it now. Take caution. If you think you can live at the beach cheaply, you will need to really lower your standards and expectations. Owning a home in Guanacaste is costly and long term annual upkeep is expensive also. Our weather is extreme and demands more routine care like sanding and staining, roof care, water filters, paint, etc. You can live more cheaply inland or closer to the city but not in our part of Guanacaste.

Hey Jill Reed,

You have done an excellent job by providing such detailed information about the cost of living in Costa Rica. I thank you for that.

Cheers,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

We are two retired adults living mostly on our combined Social Security.

Our cost of living, here in the Central Valley, is very different from Jill Reed's (above).

We built our home in 2006 with a $150,000 Costa Rican mortgage (20 years at 8% for about $1,100 per month). It's paid for now. The annual property taxes on our two manzanas* are about $400 including trash pickup. We live at about 4,200 feet above sea level. The higher the cooler; the lower the hotter.

The annual marchamo (road tax) on our 2023 Subaru is about $1,400. We don't drive a lot, so $70 every two weeks keeps the gas tank full.

Locally, $1,000 to $1,500 per month will rent a decent two- or three-bedroom home.

Several years ago, we invested in 12 photovoltaic panels that generate most of our electricity. The worst it's been is about $25 per month in the rainy season. Some months, we pay virtually nothing. We have neither heat nor air conditioning and our windows are open year 'round. Water is cheap.

We each have a "voice plus Internet" cellphone account from Kölbe (ICE). They cost about $15 per month each. We buy a bit more than the "standard" Internet service for about $80 per month. Internet service (cost and quality) varies widely throughout the country. We also pay $90 per month for Internet-based TV programming from the United States.

We shop for food and supermarket items (cleaning and paper supplies, etc) at PriceSmart, AutoMercado (the most "Americalike supermarket), the weekly Grecia farmers' market, and local supermarkets. Since we only go to PriceSmart (think Costco, but not as good) and AutoMercado about once per month, my guess is that we spend about $500 per month all told. We buy what we want, but we don't eat a lot of meat and virtually no alcohol or tobacco.

Restaurant meals in low-end "sodas" can be very reasonable, but the higher-end places charge more.

Car parts are expensive as is motor oil (don't ask why), but capable mechanics charge a reasonable price. The vet is reasonably priced and will make house calls.

Vet meds and many human meds are expensive. The farmacias will usually offer you generics. Dog food for our Belgian malinois is pricey.

When you become a legal resident (highly recommended), you will be required to enroll in the national health care system, the "CAJA". The cost is based on your income. We have become nationalized citizens of Costa Rica and are not required to use the CAJA. At our advanced ages, our private (U.S.-based) health insurance costs about $8,000 a year but you can opt for less coverage and higher deductions and co-pays. We don't use a lot of outpatient health care. What we do use, we pay for in cash.

Public transportation and taxis are very reasonably priced, but we want the convenience of having our own car. The Subaru we bought last August would have cost about $35,00 or $40,000 in the States; here it was $60,000. The difference is attributable to Costa Rica's high import duties. You can bring your own vehicle from the states (highly recommended), but the cost won't be much different.  Used cars are shockingly expensive because that import duty passes on from one owner to the next. The good news is that cars last forever here.

We dissolved our two corporations (car and house) because they didn't afford us much of an advantage and the bureaucratic hassles weren't worth it. There's an annual tax on inactive corporations, so that's another expense that can be avoided.

*About three acres.

@daveandmarcia

Thank you for sharing your detailed insights into living expenses in the Central Valley! Your breakdown provides valuable information for those considering retirement in Costa Rica. Much appreciated!

All the best

Bhavna

@Cheryl

so honestly all those questions have muktiole answers so theres alot of specefics involved in each question…but theres also more import questions to be confronted on a persOnal readinness and much more…but tge cost of liviing is very high almost unimAgible

@papajus1111

Hello, indeed, there are multiple answers to the questions.

We encourage everyone to share their individual perspectives and experiences. By doing so, we can gather a diverse range of insights that enrich the topic and hopefully help members looking to move to Costa Rica.

All the best

Bhavna

i left new york city in 1991 where i paid $3000 month for a one bedroom modern apartment which included a parking space in midtown

in costa rica today

the same one bedroom modern apt in escazu will run about $1200 month

in santa ana about $800 month

most have pool and parking space included

in concasa are 7 miles west of santa ana the same apt is $600

you can ask angela regarding these at orbitcostarica site

as to food if you shop at the farmers market on saturday it is very very cheap in comparison to the states

if you buy at the upscale automarcado supermarket some imported items are 50% more than the states

however if you shop at pricesmart which is identical to costco items like maple syrup is same as the states

gas is more expensive here by 40% but the shorter distances makeup for that

maybe not if you live in the jungle

a brand new nissan sentra with license tag paid for and 3 years free maintenace is $32000

i think same car in states is $29,000

insurance for cars is less than the states

property tax is a fraction of the states

medical care in private hospital  is = to the usa top hospital at 20% of the cost

almost all doctors speak english and they are much more friendly than the states doctors

most drugs in pharmacy is less cost

the observation i have after living here 32 years is it is no longer so cheap retirees can live on $1200 month

$2000 month would be more reasonable

even the rainy season is usually not all day and the country is green and flowers all over

i would advise that this is a country for retirees who want best climate which is found in the central valley since the beaches are great for a few days but always hot and humid

after 32 years i still speak broken spanish but usually there is someone around to help

@daveandmarcia

Hi, thanks for the info. Question regarding your private health insurance cost. Is that for an individual or both?

Thanks

Our health insurance costs us about $8,000 per year for Marcia and me, BUT you must understand that it can vary greatly.

In our situation, I'm 78 and have Type II diabetes. Marcia's 75. My diabetes costs more to insure, and there's a higher deductible for diabetes-related health care. Also, we have $500,000 each in coverage per year with a $5,000 deductible each. If we opted for less coverage and a higher deductible, then the annual premium would be lower.

ln 2022, I was hospitalized at CIMA for 34 days during which I had open heart surgery. The grand total cost, after the deductible, was about $125,000, so maybe we don't really need $500,000 in annual coverage.

Also, having had a good experience here with a major event, we've decided that we'll no longer participate in U.S. Medicare. That's a savings this year of about $160 per month each and, if we returned to the U.S. for care under Medicare, we'd be faced with some deductibles and co-pays there.

The only meaningful answer for you is to contact several international health insurers and get their quotes that meet your own circumstances.

The cost of livin g in CR in 2023 continues to be an expensive place to live.  Over the last ten years the cost of living here has increased significantly, mostly since 2022 forward when inflation hit the US and then CR.

Rent is dependent on WHERE one chooses to live.  I live in the central valley, in  Cariari area that surrounds a golf course by the same name, located with in the Asuncion de Belen area.  My street provides 24/7 security which is pretty much a mandatory requirement to stop or reduce theft. My rent is $1,300/month for a 3 bedroom single level with a yard for my dog,

Electricity is about $70 / month.  Water is perhaps $6-8 / month. Internet is about $50 for 200gb/month.  If one is going to live near the beach and needs AC to live/sleep be prepared for $400+ electricity bills.

I bought a 2019 Kia Sorento from a private person via CRAutos.com.  It was a top end diesel with 22,000 kilometers on it for $34,000.  It was a good deal.  Diesel is less than gas here.  I don't drive a lot so I spend about $120 / month to drive. Groceries at Automercado used to be $150 a month.  Now that is closer to $250+ monthly.   I spend about $2,500-$3,000 a month for all my expenses including the above and eating out. 

Hello.   My guess is that Jill Reed doesn't have to scrimp... lucky her.  But I'm with Dave when it comes to expenses... (from daveandmarcia)... my expenses are quite different from Jill's too..

First... I will tell you where I live because that makes a difference...

I'm about 45 minutes straight west of ciudad Quesada... in western San Carlos.  (although my village is in the northern most part of the Canton of San Ramon).  It is rural; mostly agricultural... dairy, beef, produce (root veggies and tropical fruits) and lots of growers of House Plants for export to 'die' in North America and Europe.     Around me are small towns and villages; lower areas are hotter... but cooler in the foothills of the mountains that wrap three sides of this valley.  The upper NW corner of my area is La Fortuna; southernmost point is Bajo Rodrigues.. and then east to Quesada.  The national highway (702) that runs from San Ramon up to La Fortuna runs past my village... which is on a dead-end road about 500 meters from that highway.  There are foreigners everywhere in the valley... but spread out all over; not congregated into an expat enclave.  My village has a church, a small grocery, a 'bar' with dance hall and pulperia, an elementary school, a community kitchen for events; as well as a salon... which is an indoor Gymnasium that is also used for events; and indoor activities like soccer during the rains, bingo and roller-skating.  And, we have a soccer field, of course!!!  People use it as a park, and it gets a lot of use.  Six streams flow down from the mountains thru the village... so ponds for tilapia and koi are the norm.   Temps.. 70 to 90... hovering mostly in the upper 70's Nov to Feb...  and mid to upper 80's March- Oct.  I think we hit 69 once.   12 hours of daylight is consistent... so things cool off very well around 4 pm when the sun goes behind the mountains that hug the backside (west) of the village.  I have never had an uncomfortable night for sleeping.  Rain... anywhere from 12 feet a year to over 18 feet.  Yes... Feet!!   I love it... but it does make things grow and I am forever cutting grass, trimming the 125 yards of hibiscus hedges that wrap some of my land, and raking leaves.  But I grow a ton of my own produce.  The rain on the tin roof is mesmerizing.

Housing: in 2018 I bought a small, old, concrete farmhouse on a 1500 sq. meter lot for $54,000 (US).  It had been originally listed in the upper 90's on an international real estate site.  The lot sits surrounded by other lots that have been for sale for almost 20 years... the 3 lots that are furthest from me have small houses on them... no lived in permanently.   I gutted my house and did a total renovation (it didn't have an indoor kitchen nor bathroom) and added on about 110 sq. feet... as well as 2 more exterior porches to maximize outdoor living; and did a ton of landscaping and retaining walls.  All in, I'm just under $100K.   All was paid in cash.  I am on a paved road; 300 meters from a bus stop on that main highway... with multiple daily buses to/from La Fortuna; San Ramon; and Ciudad Quesada (CQ).  All of these destinations are less than $3 one-way tickets.  Quesada is the go-to destination for most people in my area... traveling to CQ is across the valley instead of through the mountains (to San Ramon) and a Tico driver can get you there, alive, in 30-35 minutes.  I use the same pirate taxi if he's avail; and he's great; or the bus.  Quesada is a rich agricultural (meat and dairy) town... hospitals, all shopping, car dealerships, banks, Migration Office, clinics, restaurants, cinema, higher education, gyms, ... basically U-Name-It ...  for a city of 65,000 it has a lot to offer... but it's not very pretty.  Don't be surprised to see Porches and all sorts of higher end vehicles and very well dressed women... those farmers are rich!   It also has a national Soccer Team... Los Toros de San Carlos.  CQ the gateway to the central north of CR... with a big bus station that is a virtual shopping mall and buses to all northern points... Chiles, Guatuso, La Fortuna, Tilleran, Pital, Sarapiqui, Upala, and almost hourly (if not more) regular buses to San Jose... many of which stop in front of the Airport.  There is new Walmart one block from the bus terminal.. as well as a MaxiPali. 

My property taxes are around $235 per year... it is a triple lot with one house.  It includes trash pick-up 2x per week.  There is a fire  hydrant across the road and we are taxed on that... but the nearest fire dept is probably in Texas!   hahahaha!  I could sell of one of the lots, or even build a smaller 'retirement' house on it and sell where I am.   Note... if you pay your property taxes for all four quarters (full year) during the first quarter (Jan- March)... you get a discount... plus, you can forget about going to the municipal office for the rest of the year!

Transportation ...  as mentioned above...  CR has public transportation even if you live rural.  Buses and taxis are easily accessible.  I also have a gas-powered motor scooter... with pedals.  Since it has pedals... it does Not require a drivers license nor registration.  My US driver's license expired during Covid and I never tried to get one here.  My guess is that I maybe spend $75/month on transportation, between buses, gas for the scooter, and taxis; but some months i go nowhere.  I will probably never own a car again...  it just easy for me not to; and my vision isn't great.  But that's just me.  I'm sure it's a hard habit to break; and yes... I would be free to see and do more... but I'm happy for now.

Groceries ... so hard to put a number on that.  Really, because I live rural... I don't go to restaurants.  Occasionally I'll go to a local Soda... but usually only when I'm in Quesada ... and it's for breakfast.  I grow bananas, plantains, cocos, cas, pineapple, guayaba, mangos, as well as herbs, veggies, and some melons.  I 'give' to friends and neighbors when I have more than I can eat... (who knew that one banana plant would produce 125 bananas!!!) and they share with me... a lot.  Especially tropical root vegetables which I don't grow (yucca, Tiquisque and Ñampí: etc.)  I'm guessing that I spend $425 a month on groceries... including cat food and dog food.  Vendors come to my village weekly selling fresh chicken, eggs, produce, baked goods, and even Arroz con Leche!  I almost don't have to leave my house.  Ñampí... if you haven't had it... has the consistency of Gnocchi pasta... they cook it in milk here.  Yum!!

And of course.. yes... groceries in the supermarket are expensive because 80% of what is on the shelves is imported.  It's just not made or grown here.  So... $9 peanut butter, etc.   I learned to limit consumption of things that were just crazy to buy... considering that the average Costa Rican has never bought them in their lives... I figured I could learn to live without them.  My friends here have never had peanut butter, nor Nutella, etc. in their lives.   I've learned to eat more rice, cook with Masa flour, and be creative.  I don't need that other stuff anymore... and I will only buy it to treat myself if I've been good... which isn't often.

Healthcare.  I have residency and I pay to belong to the Caja;  It is 125,000 colones per month... which right now is $250. The dollar is really really low... so if it gets some of its value back... I'll pay less 'dollars'.  I know that there are tons of discussions about the Caja in general, and the costs (based on declared income as per your Type of Residency).. but I don't mind... it is still far less than buying individual healthcare in the USA, and the CR ID card, or cedula is good to have.  I hate carrying around a passport.  Have I used the Caja???   heck yea.

a) I got bitten by some kind of bug up in the mountains and got Papalomoyo (mountain leprosy) during Covid.  It's not really Leprosy because it isn't contagious... but ugly.  There was a shortage of medication to get rid of it... so I had to have an old fashioned dose, injected every day,  for 30 days. The nurse came to my house by motorcycle because our clinic is only open 1x per week... and he gave me the injections.    That would NEVER happen in the states.   Caja paid for everything.

b) I got Shingles.   I had tried to get the shingles vaccine before I left the US but the pharmacies told me that they were waiting to get it... Anyway... the doctor at the clinic here didn't know crap; and treated it as a spider bite.  I was watching CNN and saw the Shingles Vaccine commercial... it all sounded way too familiar... I went on line and there were literally 1000's of photos that looked just like my so-called 'bug' bite.  Went back to clinic; told him the Spanish name for shingles... and got the right meds.  I didn't pay a cent... but glad I was able to do some of my own diagnosing...

c)  hahaha!!!  I got bitten by a mosquito that just happened to carry Dengue Fever!!   Didn't know what was wrong with me... it happened incredibly fast... like, one minute walking the dog, 10 minutes later face-planted in my yard.  Thought I had a virus... but all went downhill and it was not pretty.  Apparently I was delirious and passed out and fell, more than once.  Final fall was in bathroom, where my nosy neighbor saw me lying in a pool of blood through the small shower window.  I'm so glad she's nosy!!  We had made a plan to walk up the mountain together... and that's why she was looking for me.  She got help and they helped me up... I had been there for almost 10 hours.  I've never seen so much blood.  Broke my nose - thus the blood - and collar bone.  Was in bed for 2 days until I needed to go to Hospital.  Home for 2 days, then back in hospital.  Lost 12 pounds just like that!   Finally was able to get some normalcy back... but it started last week of Sept. and I wasn't 'myself' until early December.  I literally had a fever for 22 days.

My friends here still joke about it all... none of them have ever had Dengue nor Papalomoyo... but there was a lot of Dengue in the area the same year because it was extra warm and wet.   The Caja paid for everything except the 5 gallons of Gatorade. 

I'm keeping the Caja... it's not worthless... but it's not excellent.  It's just ok.  The stays in the Hospital were completely not what we're accustomed to in the states.  Just saying.   And bed-side manner here doesn't exist.  But I wasn't there to make friends.

I did use a private clinic here, before my Caja was activated, when I needed retina surgery; and then a cataract surgery... it wasn't too bad; the travel to and from SJ was the worse part for me.  I used a clinic called Asembis...  for all appointments, surgical, follow-ups, meds, hotels, etc... I think I paid around $8,000 dollars US.  Again... nothing to write home about.  They literally pushed me in a wheelchair, while still partially under anesthesia; out to the curb and hailed a cab.  My companion for the day was paid handsomely.  We still laugh about it!

Utilities for me (one person):

My electricity is $18-20 dollars / month. I do not have AC.  I only have 'on-demand' hot water in the shower (electric).  I have a lot of windows... so lights are only used at night.  I have adopted the local wake-up time of 5:30... and in bed by 10.  I don't use TV, and I have numerous ceiling fans that keep things comfortable, along with breezes.  Clothes are dried by Ma'nature.  My cooking range is electric... my grill is 'natural gas' which I have to buy at the local grocery.  One tank lasts me 3-4 months; depending on use.

My water is always less than $10 a month... it may be more this month because it has been dry and I'm using the garden hose to maintain some newer plantings.  If I put in a small plunge pool... I will pay more for water.

Wifi... At first I paid around $35/month... it's a basic plan from the electric company... but they have lowered the price due to new competition... so now I'm paying around $25/month.   I may get a higher quality wifi plan because what I have is basic... but it works fine for now.  I'm a writer and I may want it to function better as I'm getting quite busy.

I don't have cable... but it is installed in the house.  someday.??   I think it will be around $40 a month.

Phone...this is the joke of jokes.  I bought a Samsung Android smartphone in 2019.  The store that sold it (Gollo) had me sign up for a carrier's plan from Kolbi.  It was a one-time fee of around $110.  Other than that, there is no monthly fee. ???  In order to have roaming 'minutes' on the phone, you have to go to a kiosk or basically, Anywhere, to add minutes.  'Recarga'  they call it.   But I only use Whatsapp; because that is THE way to communicate in this part of the world; and all of my family and friends in the USA and Europe and other parts of the world, ALL use Whatsapp.  So the 'minutes' or 'time' that I purchased, only get used if I call a non-wifi activated phone... like a land line. I never call land lines.  Since 2019, I have put only $25 on the phone. Total.  That's $5/year.   

My phone bill is $5.00 a year!!!    I think I called my bank in the US one time, I called the SS administration one time, and I called the Embassy one time.   Otherwise... everything is Whatsapp.  Even my contact with my publisher in NYC texts/calls me on Whatsapp. Even stores and other businesses here have whatsapp numbers.  As long as you are near a wifi signal... your phone will function for free. Hahahaha!!!   Sotake this...$5.00 (US) per year is my phone bill.   I have more than one friend in the US who refuses to believe it.  I've even had Kolbi replace the chip 2x... but there was never a fee.   So... when people complain about the cost of things in CR... just my phone savings here, alone, is enough to buy 3 months worth of those fancy imported groceries.

Leisure: all free; swim in a river, drink on my porch.

Occasionally I'll buy shoes or clothes... but the climate ruins everything... the sun fades clothes, shoes get wet and fall apart.  I have become a big fan of the used clothing stores... which pop up constantly.  When i first came here in 2018, I almost never saw them... now they are everywhere.  The other day, a shop sold me three t-shirts for 10 dollars.  Like... cool t-shirts.  I found a few button-up shirts with tiny stains and such... so she sold me three of them for 7 dollars... I'll have the sleeves removed and use them for gardening.   I buy my black rubber boots (Everybody has them here!) at the mini-super market, the hardware store, or even at the vet.  Usually around $15.  Get them!!   I have tall, and short. 

I'm around $800/month, regularly. Of course... If I need to buy a new ________, or want to have some friends over for refreshments... then I will spend more.  But I like to save.   That way I can travel.   I just went to Peru... the Andes were amazing!!!   

But this is just me.   

Pura Vida