Wage Cost

Country comparison

Iceland vs Costa Rica

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

All Countries
Iceland$100,6052025 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 112.00 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Costa Rica$44,4312024 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 61.30 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

Wage trend comparison

How Wages Have Changed

$107k$88k$70k$51k$33k20152025PPP-adjusted annual wage (USD)

USD PPP, constant 2025 prices · click a legend name to hide it; at least one line remains.

Price Level Comparison

Compare Everyday Price Levels

Compare eight consumer price categories using the United States benchmark of 100.

OverallIceland +50.7
FoodIceland +20.0
ClothingIceland +50.6
HousingIceland +60.5
HealthIceland +32.9
TransportIceland +57.7
RecreationIceland +48.8
RestaurantsIceland +60.2
Iceland 112.00Costa Rica 61.30
Overall
Iceland 112.00
Costa Rica 61.30
Difference Iceland +50.70
Food
Iceland 127.00
Costa Rica 107.00
Difference Iceland +20.00
Clothing
Iceland 129.00
Costa Rica 78.40
Difference Iceland +50.60
Housing
Iceland 91.00
Costa Rica 30.50
Difference Iceland +60.50
Health
Iceland 99.90
Costa Rica 67.00
Difference Iceland +32.90
Transport
Iceland 144.00
Costa Rica 86.30
Difference Iceland +57.70
Recreation
Iceland 128.00
Costa Rica 79.20
Difference Iceland +48.80
Restaurants
Iceland 134.00
Costa Rica 73.80
Difference Iceland +60.20

Key Differences

Understanding Iceland and Costa Rica

Iceland records a higher 2025 PPP-adjusted annual wage than Costa Rica, while both countries have overall price levels that sit on opposite sides of the U.S. benchmark in 2024. The page keeps the arithmetic difference visible but does not turn it into a causal explanation or a living-standard judgement.

Wage Comparison

Iceland shows the higher PPP-adjusted annual wage: $56,174 (126.4%) more than Costa Rica. Over the latest reported year, both economies recorded positive one-year wage changes (+1.82% and +0.00%). The widest price category gap is Housing at 60.5 index points, and the two overall price levels sit on opposite sides of the U.S. benchmark of 100 in 2024. Wages are reported for 2025 (Iceland) and 2024 (Costa Rica), while prices cover 2024; the two datasets are labelled separately.

Price Profile

The two overall price indices sit on opposite sides of the U.S. benchmark (112.00 vs 61.30), while the largest reported category difference appears in Housing, where Iceland exceeds Costa Rica by 60.5 index points. Each value remains relative to the United States = 100 benchmark.

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Data Notes

Wage data: 2025 common-year PPP-adjusted annual wages. Price data: 2022–2024, United States = 100. Missing values display – without zero fill, interpolation, or automatic year fallback.

Data reviewed: August 2026