How much income do I need to live in Costa Rica?

Living comfortably in Costa Rica costs around $1,550 per person per month, based on CostLiving’s moderate lifestyle benchmark for the country. That works out to $18,600 a year. Housing drives most of that figure: a modest one-bedroom in San José runs $500 to $1,000, while coastal tourist towns like Manuel Antonio or Tamarindo push to $700 to $1,500. Rural and smaller towns drop to $300 to $600. Groceries from local farmers markets are cheap, but imported goods carry 50 to 100 percent markups. Healthcare through the Caja system is excellent and inexpensive. For the full lifestyle tier breakdown, see our Costa Rica cost of living page.