Wage Cost

Country comparison

New Zealand 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
New Zealand$60,8962025 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 81.60 · 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

$64k$57k$50k$44k$37k20152025PPP-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.

OverallNew Zealand +20.3
FoodCosta Rica +5.0
ClothingCosta Rica +2.2
HousingNew Zealand +74.5
HealthCosta Rica +21.4
TransportNew Zealand +5.7
RecreationNew Zealand +12.4
RestaurantsNew Zealand +29.2
New Zealand 81.60Costa Rica 61.30
Overall
New Zealand 81.60
Costa Rica 61.30
Difference New Zealand +20.30
Food
New Zealand 102.00
Costa Rica 107.00
Difference Costa Rica +5.00
Clothing
New Zealand 76.20
Costa Rica 78.40
Difference Costa Rica +2.20
Housing
New Zealand 105.00
Costa Rica 30.50
Difference New Zealand +74.50
Health
New Zealand 45.60
Costa Rica 67.00
Difference Costa Rica +21.40
Transport
New Zealand 92.00
Costa Rica 86.30
Difference New Zealand +5.70
Recreation
New Zealand 91.60
Costa Rica 79.20
Difference New Zealand +12.40
Restaurants
New Zealand 103.00
Costa Rica 73.80
Difference New Zealand +29.20

Key Differences

Understanding New Zealand and Costa Rica

New Zealand records a higher 2025 PPP-adjusted annual wage than Costa Rica, while both countries have overall price levels below 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

New Zealand shows the higher PPP-adjusted annual wage: $16,465 (37.1%) more than Costa Rica. Over the latest reported year, both economies recorded positive one-year wage changes (+0.71% and +0.00%). The widest price category gap is Housing at 74.5 index points, and both overall price levels sit below the U.S. benchmark of 100 in 2024. Wages are reported for 2025 (New Zealand) and 2024 (Costa Rica), while prices cover 2024; the two datasets are labelled separately.

Price Profile

Both overall price indices remain below the United States benchmark. New Zealand is marginally higher overall, while the largest category difference appears in Housing, where New Zealand exceeds Costa Rica by 74.5 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