Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanacaste and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanacaste: $1,534 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Coco despite lower rent and utilities.

74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
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Guanacaste Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,534 per month in Guanacaste vs $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Guanacaste $1,534
Playa del Coco $1,676

A couple spends around $2,421 per month in Guanacaste vs $2,700 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Guanacaste $2,421
Playa del Coco $2,700

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Guanacaste vs $3,724 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Guanacaste $3,307
Playa del Coco $3,724

Guanacaste is about 9% cheaper than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guanacaste and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Guanacaste by 13%, Playa del Coco by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 ₡4,862

$18.46 ₡8,332

-41.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.69 ₡21.5K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

-17.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 ₡5,272

$13.36 ₡6,032

-12.57%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,004

$4.35 ₡1,966

2.07%

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

$2.70 ₡1,221

$2.65 ₡1,197

1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡871

$1.60 ₡724

20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 ₡1,399

$3.58 ₡1,614

-13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,020

$6.15 ₡2,776

-27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₡922

$2.30 ₡1,040

-11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$2.79 ₡1,260

14.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.44 ₡1,103

-0.82%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,619

$3.56 ₡1,606

0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.63 ₡2,544

$10.56 ₡4,766

-46.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₡1,943

$10.58 ₡4,778

-59.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ₡5,007

$16.10 ₡7,267

-31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₡1,210

$5.57 ₡2,517

-51.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.77 ₡798

-11.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 ₡1,989

$3.84 ₡1,732

14.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₡689

$3.58 ₡1,615

-57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,745

$3.43 ₡1,549

12.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,017

$3.07 ₡1,387

-26.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₡406

$1.20 ₡543

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,386

$2.67 ₡1,207

14.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ₡1,959

$5.81 ₡2,624

-25.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.25 ₡9,144

$16.66 ₡7,521

21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,262

$2.51 ₡1,132

11.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,202

$2.65 ₡1,195

0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡584

$1.33 ₡600

-3.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,128

$2.46 ₡1,110

1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.55 ₡701

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₡3,997

$9.30 ₡4,200

-4.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.58 ₡714

-0.63%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-1.80%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

0.69%

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

$93.5 ₡42.2K

$93.6 ₡42.3K

-0.07%

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

$36.18 ₡16.3K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

21.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.69 ₡14.8K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

-43.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-6.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ₡3,544

$7.18 ₡3,241

9.33%

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

$968 ₡437.0K

$756 ₡341.1K

28.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₡7.9M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

2.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.53 ₡20.1K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

-19.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 ₡39.1K

$110 ₡49.6K

-21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 ₡35.3K

$116 ₡52.5K

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 ₡359.0K

$882 ₡398.0K

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₡279.8K

$559 ₡252.2K

10.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 ₡857.1K

$1,979 ₡893.5K

-4.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 ₡577.4K

$1,193 ₡538.4K

7.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.4K

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 Guanacaste: 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

Guanacaste

$620 40.4%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 9.9% $61

Groceries & Markets

Guanacaste

$312 20.4%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 22.9% $72

Eating Out

Guanacaste

$217 14.2%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 32.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guanacaste

$162 10.6%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 11.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Guanacaste

$124 8.1%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 32% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Guanacaste

$82 5.4%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 4% $3.3

Getting Around

Guanacaste

$16 * 1%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 0.3% $0

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in Guanacaste versus $882 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 $48 in Guanacaste versus $58 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $384 – making Guanacaste the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Guanacaste

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,823

💱 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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Guanacaste Playa del Coco 59 km

From you

Guanacaste
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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

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

Yes – Playa del Coco is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,301 per month in Guanacaste and $2,514 in Playa del Coco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guanacaste, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $795 there versus $882 in Playa del Coco.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,534 in Guanacaste and $1,676 in Playa del Coco. That makes Guanacaste about 9% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $968 per month in Guanacaste and $756 in Playa del Coco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,534 in Guanacaste and $1,676 in Playa del Coco. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.