Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Desamparados and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Desamparados: $1,692 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index

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Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,692

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Desamparados 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 Desamparados and in Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Desamparados vs $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Desamparados $1,692
Playa del Coco $1,748

A couple spends around $2,664 per month in Desamparados vs $2,758 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Desamparados $2,664
Playa del Coco $2,758

A family of three spends $3,636 per month in Desamparados vs $3,768 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Desamparados $3,636
Playa del Coco $3,768

Desamparados is about 3% cheaper than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Desamparados and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Desamparados by 25%, Playa del Coco by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.32 ₡5,539

$18.08 ₡8,131

-31.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 ₡26.4K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 ₡5,201

$11.74 ₡5,279

-1.53%

Cappuccino

$4.30 ₡1,936

$4.26 ₡1,917

0.94%

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

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.62 ₡1,179

1.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡863

$1.63 ₡732

17.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ₡1,450

$3.60 ₡1,619

-10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ₡1,954

$6.13 ₡2,755

-29.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₡1,055

$2.44 ₡1,096

-3.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 ₡1,243

$2.83 ₡1,272

-2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,124

$2.44 ₡1,095

2.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$3.52 ₡1,584

1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ₡4,886

$10.88 ₡4,895

-0.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,624

$10.22 ₡4,596

0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 ₡6,383

$14.18 ₡6,379

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 ₡2,348

$5.05 ₡2,270

3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡716

$1.64 ₡736

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₡1,473

$3.28 ₡1,476

-0.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,549

$3.50 ₡1,572

-1.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 ₡1,395

$3.03 ₡1,364

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,452

$3.23 ₡1,454

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ₡470

$1.09 ₡491

-3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₡1,220

$2.67 ₡1,200

1.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,505

$5.55 ₡2,494

0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 ₡7,526

$16.77 ₡7,543

-0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₡1,169

$2.66 ₡1,195

-2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₡1,233

$2.65 ₡1,194

3.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡586

$1.35 ₡605

-3.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.49 ₡1,121

0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡694

$1.61 ₡723

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 ₡3,917

$8.84 ₡3,973

-1.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.51 ₡680

0.66%

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

$33.7K ₡15.1M

$33.8K ₡15.2M

-0.48%

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

$42.4K ₡19.1M

$41.1K ₡18.5M

3.12%

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

$93.1 ₡41.8K

$94.3 ₡42.4K

-1.36%

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

$29.52 ₡13.3K

$30.28 ₡13.6K

-2.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 ₡26.5K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-0.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₡31.0K

$66.8 ₡30.0K

3.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 ₡3,368

$7.80 ₡3,508

-3.97%

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

$845 ₡380.0K

$843 ₡379.3K

0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

1.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.4K

$72.6 ₡32.7K

-0.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$56.3 ₡25.3K

-1.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.1K

$129 ₡57.9K

-1.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$131 ₡58.8K

2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$793 ₡356.6K

0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$636 ₡286.1K

$640 ₡287.8K

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 ₡844.1K

$1,908 ₡858.2K

-1.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₡557.6K

$1,257 ₡565.1K

-1.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡340.6K

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 Desamparados: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Desamparados

$636 37.6%

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6% 0.6% $3.7

Groceries & Markets

Desamparados

$372 22%

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Desamparados

$228 13.5%

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9% 22% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Desamparados

$181 10.7%

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5% 1.2% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Desamparados

$175 10.3%

Playa del Coco

$175 10% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Desamparados

$84 5%

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7% 1.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Desamparados

$15 * 0.9%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 3.1% $0.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $800 in Desamparados versus $793 in Playa del Coco. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Desamparados versus $59 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $373 – making Desamparados the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

Same time as Desamparados

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Desamparados Playa del Coco 190 km

From you

Desamparados
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Desamparados, $1,748 in Playa del Coco – Desamparados comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Desamparados and $2,621 in Playa del Coco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $800 in Desamparados and $793 in Playa del Coco. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Desamparados and $1,748 in Playa del Coco. That makes Desamparados about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $845 per month in Desamparados and $843 in Playa del Coco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Desamparados and $1,748 in Playa del Coco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Coco has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Desamparados to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.