Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,765 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,765

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,765 in Playa del Coco versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Playa del Coco $1,765
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,806 in Playa del Coco versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Playa del Coco $2,806
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,847 in Playa del Coco versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Playa del Coco $3,847
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Playa del Coco costs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa del Coco 32% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.05 ₡8,137

$20.22 $20.22

-10.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 ₡25.9K

$85.0 $85.0

-32.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 ₡5,070

$12.35 $12.35

-8.91%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₡1,839

$5.47 $5.47

-25.41%

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

$2.52 ₡1,138

$3.82 $3.82

-34.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡736

$2.50 $2.50

-34.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ₡1,605

$8.06 $8.06

-55.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,774

$8.99 $8.99

-31.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,089

$1.13 $1.13

114.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 ₡1,298

$3.78 $3.78

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 ₡1,107

$3.25 $3.25

-24.31%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,553

$4.14 $4.14

-16.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ₡4,894

$13.08 $13.08

-16.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 ₡4,800

$14.31 $14.31

-25.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 ₡6,417

$15.96 $15.96

-10.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 ₡2,302

$4.38 $4.38

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡744

$1.45 $1.45

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 ₡1,520

$4.54 $4.54

-25.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 ₡1,522

$4.19 $4.19

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 ₡1,351

$2.63 $2.63

14.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 ₡1,446

$2.36 $2.36

36.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.76 $1.76

-38.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₡1,219

$2.16 $2.16

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 ₡2,521

$9.81 $9.81

-43.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.65 ₡7,504

$14.72 $14.72

13.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,200

$2.78 $2.78

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₡1,229

$3.48 $3.48

-21.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡602

$1.49 $1.49

-10.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 ₡1,501

$2.67 $2.67

24.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 ₡713

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ₡4,011

$35.29 $35.29

-74.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 ₡870

$0.99 $0.99

94.95%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$35.8K $35.8K

-37.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$27.2K $27.2K

27.03%

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

$94.1 ₡42.4K

$219 $219

-57.07%

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

$29.60 ₡13.3K

$58.0 $58.0

-48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$68.4 $68.4

-11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$57.9 $57.9

24.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$8.08 ₡3,641

$14.13 $14.13

-42.82%

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

$827 ₡372.9K

$1,509 $1,509

-45.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ₡7.6M

$21.5K $21.5K

-21.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ₡32.4K

$51.7 $51.7

39.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 ₡25.5K

$44.05 $44.05

28.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.6K

$85.1 $85.1

52.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 ₡60.6K

$105 $105

27.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₡369.1K

$1,932 $1,932

-57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 ₡287.7K

$1,272 $1,272

-49.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 ₡854.1K

$3,670 $3,670

-48.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.0K

$2,525 $2,525

-50.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$332 ₡149.6K

$3,199 $3,199

-89.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$765 ₡344.7K

$5,105 $5,105

-85.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

6.79

29.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$638 36.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 99.4% $634

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$375 21.4%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 7.4% $28

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$274 15.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 27.1% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$185 10.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 87.3% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$177 10.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 27.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$88 5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 2.4% $2.1

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$17 * 1%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 244% $40

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 $819 in Playa del Coco and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 568% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in Playa del Coco vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $403 per month, with Playa del Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Coco Austin, TX 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Coco
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 568% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $819 in Playa del Coco versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $827 in Playa del Coco versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Coco – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,765 in Playa del Coco versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Playa del Coco but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Playa del Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.