Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Acosta: $1,672 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco and in Acosta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,748 in Playa del Coco versus $1,672 in Acosta.

Playa del Coco $1,748
Acosta $1,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,758 in Playa del Coco versus $2,657 in Acosta.

Playa del Coco $2,758
Acosta $2,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,768 in Playa del Coco versus $3,642 in Acosta.

Playa del Coco $3,768
Acosta $3,642

Living in Playa del Coco is roughly 5% more expensive than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa del Coco 29% above, Acosta 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,131

$11.97 ₡5,382

51.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$58.9 ₡26.5K

0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,279

$11.77 ₡5,292

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,917

$4.30 ₡1,936

-0.93%

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

$2.62 ₡1,179

$2.54 ₡1,142

3.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.91 ₡860

-14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,619

$3.37 ₡1,515

6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,755

$4.47 ₡2,009

37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,272

$2.71 ₡1,220

4.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.44 ₡1,099

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,584

$3.60 ₡1,617

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,895

$10.74 ₡4,828

1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,596

$10.22 ₡4,597

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,379

$13.95 ₡6,275

1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,270

$5.16 ₡2,320

-2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$1.57 ₡708

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,476

$3.33 ₡1,497

-1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$3.45 ₡1,553

1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,364

$3.02 ₡1,358

0.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,454

$3.23 ₡1,452

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.03 ₡463

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,200

$2.60 ₡1,171

2.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,494

$5.75 ₡2,586

-3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,543

$16.66 ₡7,493

0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.61 ₡1,172

1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$2.64 ₡1,188

0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.33 ₡599

1.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,121

$2.51 ₡1,128

-0.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡723

$1.56 ₡703

3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,973

$8.49 ₡3,817

4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.53 ₡687

-1.31%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-0.73%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

0.21%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$95.2 ₡42.8K

-0.95%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$30.00 ₡13.5K

0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$58.8 ₡26.4K

0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$67.5 ₡30.4K

-1.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,508

$7.59 ₡3,415

2.77%

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

$843 ₡379.3K

$837 ₡376.3K

0.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-2.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$71.3 ₡32.1K

1.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.3K

$56.6 ₡25.5K

-0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

$128 ₡57.7K

0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$131 ₡59.1K

-0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡356.6K

$793 ₡356.4K

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡287.8K

$620 ₡278.7K

3.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡858.2K

$1,924 ₡865.4K

-0.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡565.1K

$1,256 ₡564.6K

0.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,921 ₡863.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡340.6K

$1,506 ₡677.3K

-49.71%

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 Playa del Coco: October 31, 2026

Last update for Acosta: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6%

Acosta

$620 37.1% 3.2% $20

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

Acosta

$369 22.1% 0.9% $3.4

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

Acosta

$226 13.5% 18.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

Acosta

$184 11% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

Acosta

$174 10.4% 0.2% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

Acosta

$83 4.9% 0.3% $0.3

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Acosta

$16 * 0.9% 1.6% $0.3

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 $793 in Playa del Coco and $793 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 99% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59 in Playa del Coco vs $59 in Acosta. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $369, with Acosta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Acosta

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,072

💱 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

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Playa del Coco Acosta 190 km

From you

Playa del Coco
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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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,672 in Acosta, so Acosta is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Playa del Coco. 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: $793 in Playa del Coco versus $793 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $843 in Playa del Coco versus $837 in Acosta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco versus $1,672 in Acosta – Acosta is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Acosta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.