Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Cartago, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,676 a month against $1,733 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,676 in Playa del Coco versus $1,733 in Cartago.

Playa del Coco $1,676
Cartago $1,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,700 in Playa del Coco versus $2,363 in Cartago.

Playa del Coco $2,700
Cartago $2,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Playa del Coco versus $2,993 in Cartago.

Playa del Coco $3,724
Cartago $2,993

Living in Playa del Coco costs roughly 3% less than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa del Coco 23% above, Cartago 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.46 ₡8,332

$8.61 ₡3,886

114.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.2K

$35.63 ₡16.1K

63.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 ₡6,032

$9.75 ₡4,400

37.03%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,966

$4.55 ₡2,056

-4.40%

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

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.24 ₡1,013

18.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡724

$1.37 ₡618

16.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₡1,614

$2.15 ₡972

66.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,776

$4.20 ₡1,896

46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ₡1,040

$2.39 ₡1,079

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ₡1,260

$2.48 ₡1,118

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,103

$2.42 ₡1,093

0.83%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,606

$3.59 ₡1,622

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,766

$8.73 ₡3,940

20.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,778

$10.61 ₡4,788

-0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 ₡7,267

$13.93 ₡6,288

15.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 ₡2,517

$5.05 ₡2,279

10.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₡798

$1.33 ₡601

33.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,732

$4.37 ₡1,975

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,615

$2.99 ₡1,350

19.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,549

$2.16 ₡977

58.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$2.25 ₡1,015

36.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₡543

$1.07 ₡484

12.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,207

$2.18 ₡985

22.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,624

$5.98 ₡2,700

-2.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 ₡7,521

$15.61 ₡7,047

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,132

$2.85 ₡1,286

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,195

$2.02 ₡911

31.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡600

$1.27 ₡571

4.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 ₡33.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$1.31 ₡591

87.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.57 ₡711

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 ₡4,200

$8.73 ₡3,941

6.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡714

$1.50 ₡675

5.33%

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

$34.3K ₡15.5M

$34.7K ₡15.7M

-1.04%

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

$41.0K ₡18.5M

$42.3K ₡19.1M

-3.10%

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

$93.6 ₡42.3K

$53.0 ₡23.9K

76.58%

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

$29.79 ₡13.4K

$36.31 ₡16.4K

-17.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

$60.0 ₡27.1K

-2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ₡32.1K

$68.0 ₡30.7K

4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.5 ₡35.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₡3,241

$7.16 ₡3,234

0.28%

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

$756 ₡341.1K

$559 ₡252.2K

35.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$7,872 ₡3.6M

115.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 ₡37.1K

$72.8 ₡32.9K

12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.1K

$56.8 ₡25.7K

-2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡49.6K

$121 ₡54.8K

-9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₡52.5K

$87.1 ₡39.3K

33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ₡398.0K

$733 ₡331.0K

20.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ₡252.2K

$725 ₡327.1K

-22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 ₡893.5K

$1,920 ₡866.9K

3.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡538.4K

$702 ₡316.8K

69.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.4K

$1,305 ₡589.0K

-40.84%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3%

Cartago

$725 41.8% 29.7% $166

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9%

Cartago

$350 20.2% 8.8% $34

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1%

Cartago

$186 10.8% 35.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8%

Cartago

$149 8.6% 17.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8%

Cartago

$152 8.8% 7.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1%

Cartago

$82 4.8% 3.6% $3.1

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 469% $73

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 $882 in Playa del Coco and $733 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $58 in Playa del Coco vs $36 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $350 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Coco Cartago 210 km

From you

Playa del Coco
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in transport and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $882 in Playa del Coco versus $733 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cartago pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,676 per month in Playa del Coco versus $1,733 in Cartago – Playa del Coco is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Playa del Coco 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Coco wins on affordability, Cartago on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.