Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,676 a month against $1,918 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Escazu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
84

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

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,918

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,918 in Escazu versus $1,676 in Playa del Coco.

Escazu $1,918
Playa del Coco $1,676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,942 in Escazu versus $2,700 in Playa del Coco.

Escazu $2,942
Playa del Coco $2,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,966 in Escazu versus $3,724 in Playa del Coco.

Escazu $3,966
Playa del Coco $3,724

Living in Escazu is roughly 14% more expensive than in Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 41% above, Playa del Coco 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 ₡5,428

$18.46 ₡8,332

-34.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.9K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,350

$13.36 ₡6,032

-11.30%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,960

$4.35 ₡1,966

-0.23%

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

$2.64 ₡1,192

$2.65 ₡1,197

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡877

$1.60 ₡724

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,477

$3.58 ₡1,614

-8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₡1,980

$6.15 ₡2,776

-28.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,041

$2.30 ₡1,040

0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,389

$2.79 ₡1,260

10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,089

$2.44 ₡1,103

-1.23%

Eggs

$3.41 ₡1,541

$3.56 ₡1,606

-4.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ₡4,888

$10.56 ₡4,766

2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,766

$10.58 ₡4,778

-0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 ₡6,264

$16.10 ₡7,267

-13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 ₡2,293

$5.57 ₡2,517

-8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡718

$1.77 ₡798

-10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,482

$3.84 ₡1,732

-14.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 ₡1,403

$3.58 ₡1,615

-13.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,764

$3.43 ₡1,549

13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 ₡1,649

$3.07 ₡1,387

18.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡469

$1.20 ₡543

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡782

$2.67 ₡1,207

-35.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 ₡2,540

$5.81 ₡2,624

-3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.98 ₡8,570

$16.66 ₡7,521

13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₡793

$2.51 ₡1,132

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,240

$2.65 ₡1,195

3.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₡482

$1.33 ₡600

-19.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ₡906

$2.46 ₡1,110

-18.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡702

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₡3,937

$9.30 ₡4,200

-6.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡672

$1.58 ₡714

-5.70%

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

$28.0K ₡12.6M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-18.57%

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

$35.6K ₡16.1M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

-13.13%

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

$94.4 ₡42.6K

$93.6 ₡42.3K

0.88%

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

$29.33 ₡13.2K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

-1.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 ₡47.8K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

48.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 ₡4,599

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 ₡3,430

$7.18 ₡3,241

5.85%

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

$455 ₡205.2K

$756 ₡341.1K

-39.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ₡7.6M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-0.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 ₡32.7K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-11.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.1K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.7K

$110 ₡49.6K

16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.7K

$116 ₡52.5K

11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 ₡391.3K

$882 ₡398.0K

-1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 ₡377.3K

$559 ₡252.2K

49.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 ₡887.6K

$1,979 ₡893.5K

-0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 ₡673.3K

$1,193 ₡538.4K

25.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,384 ₡624.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 ₡431.3K

$334 ₡150.8K

185.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ₡795.8K

$772 ₡348.4K

128.39%

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 Escazu: 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

Escazu

$836 43.6%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 33.1% $277

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$364 19%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 5.5% $20

Eating Out

Escazu

$227 11.9%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 26.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$182 9.5%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9.1%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 5.6% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$121 6.3%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 29.4% $36

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 10.7% $1.5

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 $867 in Escazu and $882 in Playa del Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Escazu vs $58 in Playa del Coco. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $384, with Escazu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

Same time as Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

💱 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

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Escazu Playa del Coco 180 km

From you

Escazu
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

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

Playa del Coco is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Escazu is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $867 in Escazu versus $882 in Playa del Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Escazu pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,918 per month in Escazu versus $1,676 in Playa del Coco – Playa del Coco is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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