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Grocery Prices in Costa Rica in June 2026

San Jose's RULATAM City Measurement. A basket of 50 items starts at 141,196.09 CRC/307.71 USD.

This release starts the series: the basket starts at 141,196.09 CRC. Prices were checked on June 26 for everyday retail goods; so the cost of living in Costa Rica is tracked over time, not by anecdotal impressions. Rentals and personal expenses remain outside the index.

Key Points in This Release

This is the first release of RULATAM Costa Rica 50, and San Jose has been chosen as the metropolitan and most comparable market, intersecting regular chains, premium retail, budget formats and club purchases.

Methodology

Prices were collected and verified in San Jose supermarkets between June 25 and 27, 2026, and were collected and verified at Walmart Costa Rica, Masxmenos, Maxi Palí and Palí by the editorial staff of the RULATAM Prices project.

All prices are checked by RULATAM volunteers; the index excludes rent, utility bills, medicine, schools, taxes and flights; it is an applied monitoring of the cost of living, not official statistics.

Compare Prices in Other Countries
Argentina199,86 USDBrazil212,83 USDPanama211,53 USDUruguay282,03 USDParaguay202,25 USDCosta Rica346,36 USD
History Price Archive Open →

Survey Summary

TOTAL FOR 50 ITEMS 308 USD You need to buy 50 standard goods in Costa Rica
Working hours:79 hoursYou need to work to buy products from the index in Costa Rica
Coffee cup index:39 cupsThe equivalent of the cost of 50 index goods in Costa Rica
Country Publications about life in Costa Rica Open →

Archived Release Snapshot

This is the first public release of the archive for the country, so no change is shown yet: below only the five most expensive and the five cheapest items of release.

Five Most Expensive Items

ItemRelease Price
Beef fillet (Bife de Chorizo)
Lomito De Res Marca Don Cristobal Tenderizado · 1kg		11 630,00 CRC · 25,34 USD
Coffee instant Nescafe Classic (Tradición)*
Café Nescafé Clásico Instantáneo Frasco · 200g		9 440,00 CRC · 20,57 USD
Fresh salmon fillet
Filete Marketside De Salmón Chileno Congelado · 1 kg		8 800,00 CRC · 19,17 USD
Pampers Baby-Dry P diapers*
Pañales Pampers Swaddlers Talla P · 27 units.		7 850,00 CRC · 17,10 USD
Ariel Liquid Laundry Detergent*
Detergente Ariel Doble Poder Líquido Concentrado · 2.84 l		6 850,00 CRC · 14,92 USD

Five Least Expensive Items

ItemRelease Price
Extra fine ginding salt
Sal de alta pureza Refisal · 500g		480,00 CRC · 1,05 USD
Bananas
Banano Selección Especial Kilo - 1 kg		650,00 CRC · 1,42 USD
Potatoes
Papa Blanca Nacional Kilo - 1 kg		750,00 CRC · 1,63 USD
Gasoline, analogue of AI-95
GASOLINA SUPER (SUPERIOR) · 1 L		753,00 CRC · 1,64 USD
Peas geen canned*
Guisantes Suli Petit Pois · 440g (2 x 220g)		780,00 CRC · 1,70 USD
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Frequently Asked Questions

In 2026, the cost of living in Costa Rica on the index is 141 196,09 CRCor 307,71 USD at an exchange rate of 459,0 CRC/USD It's an index of consumer items, not a full monthly budget for living in Costa Rica.

The index includes 50 comparable goods and services: foods, drinks, meats, vegetables and fruits, groceries, dairy products, household chemicals, hygiene, basic pharmacy goods, gasoline, coffee, cigarettes and Big Mac. The index excludes housing rent, utility payments, medicine, schools, taxes and flights.

For release for June 2026 prices are counted by city San José.

Want to know what these prices mean for your family?

At RULATAM, you can compare Latin American countries based on your income, family comitem, terms, documents and real expenses, not just the basic basket.

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Content OwnerRULATAM Editorial Team
Editorial StatusThe methodology and measurement period are stated on this page
VersionUpdated 26.06.2026
How We Verify Our Content