Global CityIntelligence

Cost of living

Cost of Living in Cartago, Costa Rica

This page summarises typical cost of living in Cartago, Costa Rica, expressed in CRC. A single person can expect to budget around 490,000 CRC per month before rent-driven variation, with an affordability score of 61/100 (higher means more affordable). On that scale Cartago is moderate relative to other cities in the dataset. These are deterministic planning estimates derived from a country cost baseline adjusted for the city's affordability and size — they are not live market prices, not a ranking, and should be verified against current local sources before relocation or travel decisions.

Single / month
490,000 CRC
Affordability
61/100

Overview

This page summarises typical cost of living in Cartago, Costa Rica, expressed in CRC. A single person can expect to budget around 490,000 CRC per month before rent-driven variation, with an affordability score of 61/100 (higher means more affordable). On that scale Cartago is moderate relative to other cities in the dataset. These are deterministic planning estimates derived from a country cost baseline adjusted for the city's affordability and size — they are not live market prices, not a ranking, and should be verified against current local sources before relocation or travel decisions.

Currency: CRC. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Monthly budget

Indicative total monthly spending by household type, before housing-market variation.

Monthly budget

  • Single person490,000 CRC
  • Couple833,000 CRC
  • Family1,250,000 CRC

Housing costs

Typical monthly rent by dwelling size.

Housing costs

  • Studio193,000 CRC
  • One-bedroom260,000 CRC
  • Three-bedroom482,000 CRC

Food costs

Everyday food and drink reference prices.

Food costs

  • Restaurant meal4,290 CRC
  • Coffee980 CRC

Transport costs

Public transport reference price.

Transport costs

  • Monthly transit pass16,800 CRC

Affordability score

A 0–100 comparison score; higher means more affordable. Mirrors the affordability dimension used across the platform's rankings.

Affordability score

Cartago has an affordability score of 61/100, which places it in the moderate range relative to other indexed cities. Because every city profile uses the same scale, this score is the most reliable cross-city comparison — local-currency totals above are not directly comparable between countries.

Cost comparison summary

Neutral, source-grounded comparison with related cities. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.

Cost comparison summary

In Cartago a single-person monthly budget is around 490,000 CRC and a one-bedroom rent around 260,000 CRC. Use the affordability score (61/100) to compare across countries, since amounts are shown in each city's local currency.

Continue exploring

Continue researching this city across the platform's other planning surfaces.

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Related guides

Keep exploring Cartago across the rest of the dataset — its full profile, travel guides and nearby nature.

Cartago city profileFull intelligence profile with quick answers, FAQs and every indexed dimension.Weekend trips from CartagoCurated nearby getaways and day trips within easy reach.Nature near CartagoVerified parks, lakes, coasts and uplands within ~170 km.Cartago visual guideA visual orientation to the city and its surroundings.