Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perez Zeledon and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Perez Zeledon: $1,317 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Perez Zeledon
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Perez Zeledon Living Index
84

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

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Perez Zeledon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,317

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,317 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $1,317
Playa del Coco $1,676

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $2,700 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $2,364
Playa del Coco $2,700

A family of three spends $3,410 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $3,724 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $3,410
Playa del Coco $3,724

Perez Zeledon is about 21% cheaper than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Perez Zeledon sits 3% below the global median, while Playa del Coco is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.09 ₡4,102

$18.46 ₡8,332

-50.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.24 ₡16.8K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

-35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 ₡3,699

$13.36 ₡6,032

-38.70%

Cappuccino

$2.70 ₡1,217

$4.35 ₡1,966

-37.93%

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

$1.97 ₡887

$2.65 ₡1,197

-25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₡805

$1.60 ₡724

11.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 ₡780

$3.58 ₡1,614

-51.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₡1,447

$6.15 ₡2,776

-47.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₡724

$2.30 ₡1,040

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₡1,413

$2.79 ₡1,260

12.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,122

$2.44 ₡1,103

2.05%

Eggs

$2.49 ₡1,126

$3.56 ₡1,606

-30.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,846

$10.56 ₡4,766

1.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,639

$10.58 ₡4,778

-2.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 ₡6,384

$16.10 ₡7,267

-12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,365

$5.57 ₡2,517

-5.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₡488

$1.77 ₡798

-38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,206

$3.84 ₡1,732

27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,737

$3.58 ₡1,615

7.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,680

$3.43 ₡1,549

8.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₡1,622

$3.07 ₡1,387

16.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 ₡205

$1.20 ₡543

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,394

$2.67 ₡1,207

15.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,516

$5.81 ₡2,624

-4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.80 ₡8,937

$16.66 ₡7,521

18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₡1,297

$2.51 ₡1,132

14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,638

$2.65 ₡1,195

36.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ₡364

$1.33 ₡600

-39.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,126

$2.46 ₡1,110

1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡737

$1.55 ₡701

5.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,955

$9.30 ₡4,200

-5.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡688

$1.58 ₡714

-3.80%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-1.67%

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

$42.1K ₡19.0M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

2.78%

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

$93.6 ₡42.2K

$93.6 ₡42.3K

-0.02%

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

$23.99 ₡10.8K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

-19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.7K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

1.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 ₡30.7K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-4.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 ₡3,464

$7.18 ₡3,241

6.82%

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

$498 ₡224.8K

$756 ₡341.1K

-34.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 ₡32.4K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-12.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.8K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.7K

$110 ₡49.6K

16.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$116 ₡52.5K

14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₡181.3K

$882 ₡398.0K

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ₡147.1K

$559 ₡252.2K

-41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 ₡963.0K

$1,979 ₡893.5K

7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 ₡568.7K

$1,193 ₡538.4K

5.64%

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 Perez Zeledon: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Perez Zeledon

$383 29.1%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 0.2% $0.8

Accommodation & Living

Perez Zeledon

$326 24.8%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 71.4% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perez Zeledon

$177 13.4%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 2.8% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Perez Zeledon

$174 13.2%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 6.1% $11

Eating Out

Perez Zeledon

$160 12.1%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 79.9% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Perez Zeledon

$83 6.3%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 2.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Perez Zeledon

$14 * 1.1%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 11.9% $1.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Perez Zeledon 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 $37 in Perez Zeledon versus $58 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $384 – making Perez Zeledon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Perez Zeledon

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

Same time as Perez Zeledon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,000

💱 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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Perez Zeledon Playa del Coco 270 km

From you

Perez Zeledon
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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

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

Yes – Playa del Coco is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,975 per month in Perez Zeledon 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 Perez Zeledon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $402 there versus $882 in Playa del Coco.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Perez Zeledon and $58 in Playa del Coco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $498 per month in Perez Zeledon and $756 in Playa del Coco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perez Zeledon, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Playa del Coco at $1,676. In Perez Zeledon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Coco it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Perez Zeledon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.