Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaco Beach and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,445 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
Learn more

Jaco Beach Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

Jump to prices

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,445

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,445 in Jaco Beach versus $1,676 in Playa del Coco.

Jaco Beach $1,445
Playa del Coco $1,676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,296 in Jaco Beach versus $2,700 in Playa del Coco.

Jaco Beach $2,296
Playa del Coco $2,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,147 in Jaco Beach versus $3,724 in Playa del Coco.

Jaco Beach $3,147
Playa del Coco $3,724

Living in Jaco Beach costs roughly 14% less than in Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jaco Beach 6% above, Playa del Coco 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 ₡5,106

$18.46 ₡8,328

-38.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.14 ₡19.5K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

-25.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 ₡4,612

$13.36 ₡6,030

-23.50%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,799

$4.35 ₡1,965

-8.28%

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

$2.40 ₡1,085

$2.65 ₡1,197

-9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₡844

$1.60 ₡724

16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 ₡1,441

$3.58 ₡1,613

-10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₡1,954

$6.15 ₡2,774

-29.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡892

$2.30 ₡1,039

-13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 ₡989

$2.79 ₡1,260

-21.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$2.44 ₡1,102

-2.05%

Eggs

$2.60 ₡1,175

$3.56 ₡1,605

-26.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₡4,865

$10.56 ₡4,764

2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₡4,008

$10.58 ₡4,776

-16.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 ₡5,466

$16.10 ₡7,264

-24.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 ₡2,233

$5.57 ₡2,516

-11.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₡748

$1.77 ₡798

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 ₡2,141

$3.84 ₡1,731

23.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,544

$3.58 ₡1,614

-4.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ₡676

$3.43 ₡1,548

-56.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ₡641

$3.07 ₡1,386

-53.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₡447

$1.20 ₡542

-17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₡900

$2.67 ₡1,206

-25.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 ₡2,711

$5.81 ₡2,623

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 ₡6,231

$16.66 ₡7,517

-17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₡1,192

$2.51 ₡1,131

5.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡985

$2.65 ₡1,194

-17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡600

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,125

$2.46 ₡1,110

1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡735

$1.55 ₡701

5.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.53 ₡3,848

$9.30 ₡4,198

-8.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.58 ₡714

-0.63%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-1.27%

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

$42.6K ₡19.2M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

4.02%

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

$79.6 ₡35.9K

$93.6 ₡42.2K

-15.00%

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

$23.88 ₡10.8K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

-19.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.69 ₡21.5K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

-18.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₡23.4K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-26.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,483

$7.18 ₡3,240

7.52%

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

$479 ₡216.3K

$756 ₡340.9K

-36.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,442 ₡3.4M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-56.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.50 ₡11.5K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-68.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 ₡25.4K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

1.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.3K

$110 ₡49.6K

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.8K

$116 ₡52.5K

13.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ₡337.6K

$882 ₡397.8K

-15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₡237.2K

$559 ₡252.1K

-5.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 ₡895.4K

$1,979 ₡893.1K

0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 ₡495.8K

$1,193 ₡538.1K

-7.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$402 ₡181.3K

$772 ₡348.3K

-47.95%

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 Jaco Beach: 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

Jaco Beach

$526 36.4%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 6.3% $33

Groceries & Markets

Jaco Beach

$326 22.6%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 17.8% $58

Eating Out

Jaco Beach

$211 14.6%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 36.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Jaco Beach

$154 10.6%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 6.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaco Beach

$151 10.5%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 20.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Jaco Beach

$67 4.7%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 26.8% $18

Getting Around

Jaco Beach

$11 * 0.7%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 46.1% $4.9

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 $748 in Jaco Beach and $882 in Playa del Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Coco pays 92% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Jaco Beach vs $58 in Playa del Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $384 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

Same time as Jaco Beach

🌤 Weather

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jaco Beach Playa del Coco 160 km

From you

Jaco Beach
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

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

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Jaco Beach. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $748 in Jaco Beach versus $882 in Playa del Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $479 in Jaco Beach versus $756 in Playa del Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43 versus $58 in Playa del Coco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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