Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Alajuela Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Alajuela

😐 Solo nomad: Playa del Coco is 30% more expensive than Alajuela without rent, and 11% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Playa del Coco is 6.6% more expensive than Alajuela without rent, and 14.7% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 ₡7,557

$10.08 ₡4,768

58.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 ₡37.8K

$40.17 ₡19.0K

98.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 ₡4,643

$9.68 ₡4,577

1.45%

Cappuccino

$7.13 ₡3,370

$3.75 ₡1,773

90.13%

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

$2.39 ₡1,129

$1.96 ₡927

21.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₡920

$1.29 ₡610

51.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 ₡1,525

$2.21 ₡1,044

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 ₡2,783

$3.65 ₡1,726

61.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₡1,216

$1.86 ₡880

38.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 ₡1,366

$2.47 ₡1,166

17.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ₡1,011

$2.22 ₡1,048

-3.60%

Eggs

$2.88 ₡1,359

$2.25 ₡1,063

28.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 ₡4,081

$9.67 ₡4,570

-10.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 ₡6,186

$9.04 ₡4,273

44.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,589

$13.90 ₡6,572

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 ₡2,153

$3.85 ₡1,822

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₡695

$1.45 ₡686

1.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 ₡2,060

$4.14 ₡1,958

5.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 ₡791

$2.86 ₡1,350

-41.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,591

$2.88 ₡1,360

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ₡1,444

$2.64 ₡1,247

15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ₡459

$1.00 ₡474

-3.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,345

$2.51 ₡1,187

13.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₡2,356

$4.95 ₡2,338

0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 ₡6,954

$20.49 ₡9,689

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₡1,040

$2.14 ₡1,012

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,205

$2.42 ₡1,145

5.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₡557

$0.83 ₡394

42.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 ₡53.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ₡1,430

$1.38 ₡652

118.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 ₡851

$1.32 ₡622

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 ₡3,821

$8.05 ₡3,804

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 ₡901

$1.40 ₡662

35.71%

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

$38.1K ₡18.0M

$37.7K ₡17.8M

1.06%

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

$32.4K ₡15.3M

$32.8K ₡15.5M

-1.23%

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

$176 ₡83.2K

$44.80 ₡21.2K

292.90%

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

$25.89 ₡12.2K

$19.66 ₡9,297

31.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡28.6K

$33.13 ₡15.7K

82.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 ₡27.2K

$65.7 ₡31.1K

-12.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 ₡11.4K

$43.81 ₡20.7K

-44.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 ₡4,646

$9.13 ₡4,315

7.67%

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

$522 ₡246.8K

$303 ₡143.3K

72.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡6.0M

$2,356 ₡1.1M

438.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 ₡29.6K

$62.9 ₡29.7K

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 ₡24.7K

$52.3 ₡24.7K

-0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡59.5K

$121 ₡57.2K

4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡51.6K

$100 ₡47.4K

8.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₡357.3K

$704 ₡332.9K

7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₡287.1K

$607 ₡286.8K

0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 ₡707.5K

$1,013 ₡479.1K

47.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 ₡457.8K

$934 ₡441.6K

3.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$317 ₡149.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$740 ₡350.0K

$2,039 ₡964.1K

-63.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

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

Last update for Playa del Coco: March 2, 2026

Last update for Alajuela: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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