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

🙂 Solo nomad: Playa del Coco is 5.4% cheaper than Cartago without rent, and 16% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Playa del Coco is 19.6% more expensive than Cartago without rent, and 29% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.08 ₡7,973

$7.91 ₡3,921

103.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 ₡39.4K

$31.97 ₡15.9K

148.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 ₡5,008

$8.83 ₡4,380

14.38%

Cappuccino

$7.14 ₡3,539

$3.92 ₡1,944

82.14%

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

$2.39 ₡1,187

$2.03 ₡1,007

17.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡950

$1.24 ₡617

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 ₡1,649

$2.02 ₡1,000

64.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 ₡3,026

$4.57 ₡2,268

33.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 ₡1,285

$2.04 ₡1,012

26.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 ₡1,438

$2.23 ₡1,104

30.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ₡1,066

$2.18 ₡1,079

-1.38%

Eggs

$3.01 ₡1,492

$2.94 ₡1,459

2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 ₡4,066

$8.01 ₡3,973

2.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.71 ₡6,299

$9.36 ₡4,642

35.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 ₡6,798

$13.59 ₡6,737

0.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 ₡2,249

$4.46 ₡2,213

1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 ₡741

$1.17 ₡580

27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 ₡2,172

$3.93 ₡1,948

11.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ₡793

$2.72 ₡1,349

-41.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 ₡1,646

$2.01 ₡998

65.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 ₡1,467

$2.00 ₡994

48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡503

$0.95 ₡473

7.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₡1,458

$1.95 ₡966

50.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.86 ₡2,412

$5.22 ₡2,586

-6.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 ₡6,997

$14.03 ₡6,957

0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₡1,089

$2.44 ₡1,207

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,296

$1.84 ₡911

41.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 ₡582

$1.02 ₡506

14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 ₡34.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ₡1,453

$1.42 ₡702

106.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 ₡917

$1.79 ₡887

3.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.12 ₡4,028

$7.99 ₡3,963

1.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 ₡939

$1.42 ₡703

33.10%

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

$37.1K ₡18.4M

$38.3K ₡19.0M

-3.14%

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

$32.4K ₡16.1M

$32.1K ₡15.9M

1.21%

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

$174 ₡86.4K

$48.20 ₡23.9K

261.39%

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

$25.86 ₡12.8K

$25.57 ₡12.7K

1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 ₡29.2K

$56.3 ₡27.9K

4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ₡28.0K

$56.1 ₡27.8K

0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.91 ₡11.9K

$23.95 ₡11.9K

-0.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.14 ₡5,027

$6.59 ₡3,269

53.87%

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

$519 ₡257.3K

$496 ₡245.9K

4.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ₡6.3M

$7,196 ₡3.6M

76.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 ₡30.4K

$61.8 ₡30.6K

-0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 ₡25.5K

0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡62.8K

$110 ₡54.4K

15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡52.9K

$80.0 ₡39.7K

33.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 ₡372.7K

$757 ₡375.4K

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 ₡296.3K

$588 ₡291.5K

1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 ₡738.2K

$731 ₡362.2K

103.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 ₡486.2K

$760 ₡376.9K

28.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$306 ₡151.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$708 ₡350.8K

$1,228 ₡608.8K

-42.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

1.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Coco: January 12, 2026

Last update for Cartago: January 11, 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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