Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Encarnacion and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Encarnacion: $838 a month against $1,548 in Guanacaste, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Encarnacion
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Encarnacion Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
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Guanacaste Living Index

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Encarnacion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$838

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Encarnacion and in Guanacaste

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $838 in Encarnacion versus $1,548 in Guanacaste.

Encarnacion $838
Guanacaste $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,289 in Encarnacion versus $2,428 in Guanacaste.

Encarnacion $1,289
Guanacaste $2,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,740 in Encarnacion versus $3,309 in Guanacaste.

Encarnacion $1,740
Guanacaste $3,309

Living in Encarnacion costs roughly 46% less than in Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Encarnacion is 38% below, Guanacaste is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ₲25.3K

$10.82 ₡4,851

-58.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.45 ₲195.9K

$48.68 ₡21.8K

-29.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 ₲41.0K

$11.68 ₡5,237

-38.36%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₲14.9K

$4.53 ₡2,032

-41.94%

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

$1.46 ₲8,293

$2.75 ₡1,234

-46.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₲3,040

$1.94 ₡871

-72.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ₲5,159

$3.16 ₡1,417

-71.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₲12.1K

$4.54 ₡2,037

-52.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₲6,248

$2.00 ₡895

-45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₲4,970

$3.04 ₡1,363

-71.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₲10.2K

$2.43 ₡1,090

-25.93%

Eggs

$1.63 ₲9,260

$3.54 ₡1,588

-53.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.17 ₲29.4K

$5.44 ₡2,438

-4.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ₲19.0K

$4.47 ₡2,002

-25.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.49 ₲31.2K

$10.84 ₡4,861

-49.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₲12.2K

$2.56 ₡1,147

-16.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 ₲4,673

$1.64 ₡735

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 ₲5,053

$4.51 ₡2,022

-80.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ₲9,402

$1.56 ₡698

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₲5,147

$3.90 ₡1,749

-76.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ₲5,360

$2.23 ₡1,002

-57.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ₲3,317

$0.85 ₡383

-31.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₲2,953

$3.09 ₡1,386

-83.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 ₲8,739

$4.42 ₡1,984

-65.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.37 ₲30.5K

$20.31 ₡9,107

-73.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₲4,919

$2.90 ₡1,300

-70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₲8,290

$2.66 ₡1,191

-45.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₲2,839

$1.30 ₡582

-61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.27 ₲194.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 ₲7,238

$2.45 ₡1,100

-48.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₲3,936

$1.55 ₡696

-55.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ₲37.6K

$8.80 ₡3,945

-24.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₲6,876

$1.55 ₡695

-21.94%

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

$14.0K ₲79.4M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-36.03%

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

$26.5K ₲150.5M

$35.4K ₡15.9M

-25.29%

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

$44.15 ₲251.0K

$96.5 ₡43.3K

-54.24%

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

$13.74 ₲78.1K

$36.34 ₡16.3K

-62.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.98 ₲107.9K

$32.76 ₡14.7K

-42.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 ₲177.5K

$72.0 ₡32.3K

-56.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 ₲75.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 ₲35.0K

$7.57 ₡3,395

-18.63%

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

$201 ₲1.1M

$974 ₡436.7K

-79.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,324 ₲18.9M

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-80.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 ₲330.0K

$65.6 ₡29.4K

-11.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.73 ₲157.7K

$43.46 ₡19.5K

-36.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ₲393.3K

$88.9 ₡39.9K

-22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ₲399.0K

$76.9 ₡34.5K

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ₲2.9M

$812 ₡364.2K

-37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ₲1.9M

$625 ₡280.4K

-47.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 ₲3.8M

$1,920 ₡861.1K

-65.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 ₲3.1M

$1,264 ₡567.0K

-57.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,579 ₲9.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,431 ₲8.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 ₲2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

8.62

10.21%

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

Last update for Encarnacion: October 13, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Encarnacion

$329 39.3%

Guanacaste

$625 40.4% 90% $296

Groceries & Markets

Encarnacion

$141 16.8%

Guanacaste

$311 20.1% 121% $170

Eating Out

Encarnacion

$106 12.6%

Guanacaste

$220 14.2% 108% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Encarnacion

$101 12.1%

Guanacaste

$124 8% 22.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Encarnacion

$77 9.2%

Guanacaste

$166 10.7% 115% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Encarnacion

$44 5.2%

Guanacaste

$87 5.6% 100% $44

Getting Around

Encarnacion

$41 4.9%

Guanacaste

$15 * 1% 62.4% $26

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 $509 in Encarnacion and $812 in Guanacaste. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Encarnacion vs $49.00 in Guanacaste for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $311 per month, with Encarnacion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Encarnacion

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

17:25 5:25 PM

3 h behind Encarnacion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,600

1,823

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Encarnacion Guanacaste 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Encarnacion
Guanacaste

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

Encarnacion vs Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Encarnacion and Guanacaste differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($838 vs $1,548 including rent). Encarnacion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,257 in Encarnacion and $2,321 in Guanacaste to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $509 in Encarnacion versus $812 in Guanacaste. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Guanacaste. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $838 per month in Encarnacion versus $1,548 in Guanacaste – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $838 in Encarnacion versus $1,548 in Guanacaste, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Encarnacion but tight or insufficient in Guanacaste. The gap between the two cities makes Encarnacion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Encarnacion and Guanacaste are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Encarnacion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Guanacaste. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.