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

😐 Solo nomad: Playa del Coco is 11.2% more expensive than Arenal without rent, and 10.3% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Playa del Coco is 19.2% more expensive than Arenal without rent, and 11.7% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 ₡7,557

$10.90 ₡5,151

46.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 ₡37.8K

$60.8 ₡28.7K

31.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 ₡4,643

$9.91 ₡4,684

-0.91%

Cappuccino

$7.13 ₡3,370

$3.94 ₡1,863

80.96%

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

$2.39 ₡1,129

$2.08 ₡982

14.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₡920

$1.58 ₡749

23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 ₡1,525

$2.94 ₡1,391

9.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 ₡2,783

$4.74 ₡2,241

24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₡1,216

$2.04 ₡965

25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 ₡1,366

$2.81 ₡1,330

2.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 ₡1,011

$2.23 ₡1,056

-4.04%

Eggs

$2.88 ₡1,359

$2.92 ₡1,381

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 ₡4,081

$9.76 ₡4,617

-11.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 ₡6,186

$9.23 ₡4,366

41.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,589

$13.64 ₡6,450

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 ₡2,153

$4.54 ₡2,145

0.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₡695

$1.52 ₡718

-3.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 ₡2,060

$4.16 ₡1,965

4.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 ₡791

$3.57 ₡1,686

-53.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 ₡1,591

$3.40 ₡1,606

-1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ₡1,444

$3.24 ₡1,532

-5.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 ₡459

$0.97 ₡461

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,345

$2.90 ₡1,372

-2.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₡2,356

$5.24 ₡2,477

-4.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 ₡6,954

$20.14 ₡9,519

-26.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₡1,040

$2.45 ₡1,160

-10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,205

$2.80 ₡1,324

-8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₡557

$0.94 ₡446

25.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ₡1,430

$1.81 ₡856

66.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 ₡851

$1.85 ₡872

-2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 ₡3,821

$8.07 ₡3,815

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 ₡901

$1.45 ₡685

31.03%

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

$38.1K ₡18.0M

$37.2K ₡17.6M

2.37%

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

$32.4K ₡15.3M

$32.0K ₡15.1M

1.28%

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

$176 ₡83.2K

$95.6 ₡45.2K

84.22%

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

$25.89 ₡12.2K

$25.85 ₡12.2K

0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 ₡28.6K

$59.0 ₡27.9K

2.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 ₡27.2K

$57.4 ₡27.1K

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 ₡11.4K

$24.24 ₡11.5K

-0.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 ₡4,646

$10.20 ₡4,822

-3.63%

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

$522 ₡246.8K

$571 ₡270.0K

-8.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡6.0M

$12.5K ₡5.9M

1.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 ₡29.6K

$61.5 ₡29.1K

1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 ₡24.7K

$52.4 ₡24.7K

-0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡59.5K

$124 ₡58.5K

1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡51.6K

$108 ₡50.9K

1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₡357.3K

$773 ₡365.2K

-2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₡287.1K

$601 ₡283.9K

1.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 ₡707.5K

$1,497 ₡707.6K

-0.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 ₡457.8K

$946 ₡447.3K

2.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$317 ₡149.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$740 ₡350.0K

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 Arenal: February 28, 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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