Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago, Costa Rica and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,676 a month against $1,733 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

Jump to prices

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartago and in Playa del Coco

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartago and in Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,733 in Cartago versus $1,676 in Playa del Coco.

Cartago $1,733
Playa del Coco $1,676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Cartago versus $2,700 in Playa del Coco.

Cartago $2,363
Playa del Coco $2,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,993 in Cartago versus $3,724 in Playa del Coco.

Cartago $2,993
Playa del Coco $3,724

Living in Cartago is roughly 3% more expensive than in Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Playa del Coco 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 ₡3,886

$18.46 ₡8,332

-53.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.63 ₡16.1K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

-38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 ₡4,400

$13.36 ₡6,032

-27.02%

Cappuccino

$4.55 ₡2,056

$4.35 ₡1,966

4.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₡1,013

$2.65 ₡1,197

-15.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₡618

$1.60 ₡724

-14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡972

$3.58 ₡1,614

-39.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 ₡1,896

$6.15 ₡2,776

-31.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$2.30 ₡1,040

3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 ₡1,118

$2.79 ₡1,260

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,093

$2.44 ₡1,103

-0.82%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,622

$3.56 ₡1,606

0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 ₡3,940

$10.56 ₡4,766

-17.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,788

$10.58 ₡4,778

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 ₡6,288

$16.10 ₡7,267

-13.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,279

$5.57 ₡2,517

-9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ₡601

$1.77 ₡798

-24.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 ₡1,975

$3.84 ₡1,732

13.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,350

$3.58 ₡1,615

-16.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 ₡977

$3.43 ₡1,549

-37.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,015

$3.07 ₡1,387

-26.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡484

$1.20 ₡543

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡985

$2.67 ₡1,207

-18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 ₡2,700

$5.81 ₡2,624

2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 ₡7,047

$16.66 ₡7,521

-6.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,286

$2.51 ₡1,132

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₡911

$2.65 ₡1,195

-23.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 ₡571

$1.33 ₡600

-4.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 ₡33.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ₡591

$2.46 ₡1,110

-46.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡711

$1.55 ₡701

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 ₡3,941

$9.30 ₡4,200

-6.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡675

$1.58 ₡714

-5.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.7K ₡15.7M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

1.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.3K ₡19.1M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

3.20%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$53.0 ₡23.9K

$93.6 ₡42.3K

-43.37%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.31 ₡16.4K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

21.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡27.1K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

2.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 ₡30.7K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.5 ₡35.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 ₡3,234

$7.18 ₡3,241

-0.28%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$559 ₡252.2K

$756 ₡341.1K

-26.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,872 ₡3.6M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-53.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 ₡32.9K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 ₡25.7K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.8K

$110 ₡49.6K

10.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 ₡39.3K

$116 ₡52.5K

-25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ₡331.0K

$882 ₡398.0K

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ₡327.1K

$559 ₡252.2K

29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 ₡866.9K

$1,979 ₡893.5K

-2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 ₡316.8K

$1,193 ₡538.4K

-41.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,305 ₡589.0K

$772 ₡348.4K

69.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cartago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$725 41.8%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 22.9% $166

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$350 20.2%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 9.6% $34

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.8%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 54.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$152 8.8%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 7.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$149 8.6%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 21.7% $32

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 82.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$82 4.8%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 3.8% $3.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Cartago and $882 in Playa del Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Cartago vs $58 in Playa del Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $384 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartago Playa del Coco 210 km

From you

Cartago
Playa del Coco

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cartago vs Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in transport and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Cartago, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Cartago versus $882 in Playa del Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cartago pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,733 per month in Cartago versus $1,676 in Playa del Coco – Playa del Coco is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Playa del Coco gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Coco wins on affordability, Cartago on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.