Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanacaste and Encarnacion

For one person, living is cheaper in Encarnacion: $830 a month against $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
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Guanacaste Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Encarnacion
Learn more

Encarnacion Living Index

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Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

Encarnacion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guanacaste and in Encarnacion

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,534 in Guanacaste versus $830 in Encarnacion.

Guanacaste $1,534
Encarnacion $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,421 in Guanacaste versus $1,285 in Encarnacion.

Guanacaste $2,421
Encarnacion $1,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Guanacaste versus $1,739 in Encarnacion.

Guanacaste $3,307
Encarnacion $1,739

Living in Guanacaste is roughly 85% more expensive than in Encarnacion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guanacaste is 13% above, Encarnacion is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 ₡4,862

$4.42 ₲26.4K

143.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.69 ₡21.5K

$34.62 ₲206.5K

37.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 ₡5,272

$7.09 ₲42.3K

64.74%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,004

$2.59 ₲15.4K

71.43%

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

$2.70 ₡1,221

$1.49 ₲8,876

81.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡871

$0.54 ₲3,240

257.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 ₡1,399

$0.96 ₲5,746

222.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,020

$2.11 ₲12.6K

111.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₡922

$1.10 ₲6,540

85.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$0.92 ₲5,511

246.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.75 ₲10.4K

38.29%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,619

$1.56 ₲9,315

130.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.63 ₡2,544

$5.17 ₲30.8K

8.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₡1,943

$3.28 ₲19.6K

31.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ₡5,007

$5.62 ₲33.5K

97.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₡1,210

$2.15 ₲12.8K

24.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡709

$0.85 ₲5,053

84.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 ₡1,989

$0.86 ₲5,123

411.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₡689

$1.68 ₲9,992

-8.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,745

$0.89 ₲5,321

333.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,017

$0.88 ₲5,224

155.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₡406

$0.56 ₲3,325

60.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,386

$0.52 ₲3,117

490.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ₡1,959

$1.46 ₲8,722

197.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.25 ₡9,144

$5.62 ₲33.5K

260.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,262

$0.85 ₲5,072

229.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,202

$1.54 ₲9,193

72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡584

$0.84 ₲5,028

53.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.00 ₲208.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,128

$1.29 ₲7,680

93.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.72 ₲4,292

118.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₡3,997

$6.74 ₲40.2K

31.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.19 ₲7,105

31.93%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$13.8K ₲82.6M

143.46%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$25.8K ₲154.2M

59.60%

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

$93.5 ₡42.2K

$43.84 ₲261.5K

113.32%

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

$36.18 ₡16.3K

$13.41 ₲80.0K

169.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.69 ₡14.8K

$18.79 ₲112.1K

73.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$30.45 ₲181.6K

118.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.14 ₲78.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,544

$6.08 ₲36.2K

29.11%

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

$968 ₡437.0K

$201 ₲1.2M

380.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₡7.9M

$3,299 ₲19.7M

429.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$56.7 ₲338.3K

17.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.53 ₡20.1K

$28.01 ₲167.1K

58.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 ₡39.1K

$69.1 ₲412.2K

25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 ₡35.3K

$70.2 ₲418.8K

11.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 ₡359.0K

$508 ₲3.0M

56.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₡279.8K

$321 ₲1.9M

92.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 ₡857.1K

$680 ₲4.1M

179.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 ₡577.4K

$535 ₲3.2M

138.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,583 ₲9.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,409 ₲8.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$367 ₲2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.5

-9.26%

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

Last update for Guanacaste: October 25, 2026

Last update for Encarnacion: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guanacaste

$620 40.4%

Encarnacion

$321 38.7% 48.1% $298

Groceries & Markets

Guanacaste

$312 20.4%

Encarnacion

$141 17% 54.8% $171

Eating Out

Guanacaste

$217 14.2%

Encarnacion

$105 12.6% 51.8% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guanacaste

$162 10.6%

Encarnacion

$76 9.2% 53.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Guanacaste

$124 8.1%

Encarnacion

$101 12.1% 18.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Guanacaste

$82 5.4%

Encarnacion

$43 5.1% 48.1% $40

Getting Around

Guanacaste

$16 * 1%

Encarnacion

$43 5.2% 179% $28

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 $795 in Guanacaste and $508 in Encarnacion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Guanacaste vs $35 in Encarnacion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $141 per month, with Encarnacion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🇵🇾 Encarnacion

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

3 h ahead of Guanacaste

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,823

127,600

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,660 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guanacaste Encarnacion 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Guanacaste
Encarnacion

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

Guanacaste vs Encarnacion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,534 in Guanacaste and $830 in Encarnacion, so Encarnacion is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,301 in Guanacaste and $1,246 in Encarnacion 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: $795 in Guanacaste versus $508 in Encarnacion. 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 $1,534 per month in Guanacaste versus $830 in Encarnacion – Encarnacion is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $830 in Encarnacion versus $1,534 in Guanacaste, a $1,200 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.