Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,601 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
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Guadalupe Living Index
83

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

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Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,601

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Guadalupe vs $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Guadalupe $1,601
Playa del Coco $1,748

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Guadalupe vs $2,758 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Guadalupe $2,490
Playa del Coco $2,758

A family of three spends $3,379 per month in Guadalupe vs $3,768 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Guadalupe $3,379
Playa del Coco $3,768

Guadalupe is about 8% cheaper than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Guadalupe and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Guadalupe by 18%, Playa del Coco by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 ₡4,996

$18.08 ₡8,131

-38.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.87 ₡14.8K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-44.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 ₡3,942

$11.74 ₡5,279

-25.30%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₡1,460

$4.26 ₡1,917

-23.71%

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

$2.15 ₡966

$2.62 ₡1,179

-17.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.63 ₡732

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,513

$3.60 ₡1,619

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,983

$6.13 ₡2,755

-28.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₡973

$2.44 ₡1,096

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,436

$2.83 ₡1,272

12.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,098

$2.44 ₡1,095

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,566

$3.52 ₡1,584

-1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 ₡4,319

$10.88 ₡4,895

-11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 ₡4,472

$10.22 ₡4,596

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,223

$14.18 ₡6,379

-2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 ₡2,299

$5.05 ₡2,270

1.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₡734

$1.64 ₡736

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 ₡2,118

$3.28 ₡1,476

43.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,695

$3.50 ₡1,572

7.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,759

$3.03 ₡1,364

29.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,666

$3.23 ₡1,454

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡499

$1.09 ₡491

1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,392

$2.67 ₡1,200

15.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ₡2,004

$5.55 ₡2,494

-19.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.12 ₡9,047

$16.77 ₡7,543

19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,241

$2.66 ₡1,195

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₡1,611

$2.65 ₡1,194

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡606

$1.35 ₡605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡926

$2.49 ₡1,121

-17.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 ₡721

$1.61 ₡723

-0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,019

$8.84 ₡3,973

1.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡637

$1.51 ₡680

-5.96%

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

$25.9K ₡11.6M

$33.8K ₡15.2M

-23.62%

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

$41.5K ₡18.7M

$41.1K ₡18.5M

0.80%

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

$35.93 ₡16.2K

$94.3 ₡42.4K

-61.91%

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

$26.33 ₡11.8K

$30.28 ₡13.6K

-13.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.4K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 ₡30.1K

$66.8 ₡30.0K

0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,510

$7.80 ₡3,508

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

$990 ₡445.0K

$843 ₡379.3K

17.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.6M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

0.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₡31.6K

$72.6 ₡32.7K

-3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₡19.8K

$56.3 ₡25.3K

-21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$129 ₡57.9K

1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ₡44.3K

$131 ₡58.8K

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₡368.4K

$793 ₡356.6K

3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 ₡289.4K

$640 ₡287.8K

0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 ₡842.4K

$1,908 ₡858.2K

-1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 ₡563.6K

$1,257 ₡565.1K

-0.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,232 ₡553.9K

$757 ₡340.6K

62.61%

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 Guadalupe: October 31, 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

Guadalupe

$644 40.2%

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6% 0.6% $3.5

Groceries & Markets

Guadalupe

$392 24.5%

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3% 5% $20

Eating Out

Guadalupe

$196 12.2%

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9% 42.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Guadalupe

$155 9.7%

Playa del Coco

$175 10% 13% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guadalupe

$117 7.3%

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5% 57.6% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Guadalupe

$83 5.2%

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Guadalupe

$15 * 1%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 2.8% $0.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $819 in Guadalupe 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.

Salaries run about 63% higher in Guadalupe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Guadalupe versus $59 in Playa del Coco. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Guadalupe vs $373 in Playa del Coco – so Playa del Coco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

Same time as Guadalupe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,000

💱 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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Guadalupe Playa del Coco 190 km

From you

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,601 in Guadalupe, $1,748 in Playa del Coco – Guadalupe comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,401 per month in Guadalupe 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 $819 in Guadalupe and $793 in Playa del Coco. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Guadalupe and $59 in Playa del Coco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Playa del Coco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,601 in Guadalupe 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 $1,601 in Guadalupe to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.