Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Desamparados

For one person, living is cheaper in Desamparados: $1,692 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,692 in Desamparados, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,748
Desamparados $1,692

A couple spends around $2,758 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,664 in Desamparados, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,758
Desamparados $2,664

A family of three spends $3,768 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,636 in Desamparados, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,768
Desamparados $3,636

Playa del Coco costs about 3% more than Desamparados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Coco and Desamparados sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 29%, Desamparados by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,131

$12.32 ₡5,539

46.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$58.8 ₡26.4K

0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,279

$11.56 ₡5,201

1.56%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,917

$4.30 ₡1,936

-0.93%

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

$2.62 ₡1,179

$2.66 ₡1,195

-1.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.92 ₡863

-15.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,619

$3.22 ₡1,450

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,755

$4.35 ₡1,954

40.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$2.35 ₡1,055

3.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,272

$2.77 ₡1,243

2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.50 ₡1,124

-2.40%

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,584

$3.57 ₡1,604

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,895

$10.86 ₡4,886

0.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,596

$10.28 ₡4,624

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,379

$14.19 ₡6,383

-0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,270

$5.22 ₡2,348

-3.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$1.59 ₡716

3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,476

$3.27 ₡1,473

0.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$3.44 ₡1,549

1.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,364

$3.10 ₡1,395

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,454

$3.23 ₡1,452

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.05 ₡470

3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,200

$2.71 ₡1,220

-1.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,494

$5.57 ₡2,505

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,543

$16.73 ₡7,526

0.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.60 ₡1,169

2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$2.74 ₡1,233

-3.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.30 ₡586

3.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,121

$2.50 ₡1,123

-0.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡723

$1.54 ₡694

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,973

$8.71 ₡3,917

1.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.52 ₡682

-0.66%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$33.7K ₡15.1M

0.49%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

$42.4K ₡19.1M

-3.03%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$93.1 ₡41.8K

1.38%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$29.52 ₡13.3K

2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$58.9 ₡26.5K

0.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$69.0 ₡31.0K

-3.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,508

$7.49 ₡3,368

4.14%

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

$843 ₡379.3K

$845 ₡380.0K

-0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-1.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$72.0 ₡32.4K

0.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.3K

$55.4 ₡24.9K

1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

$127 ₡57.1K

1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$134 ₡60.1K

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡356.6K

$800 ₡359.7K

-0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡287.8K

$636 ₡286.1K

0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡858.2K

$1,877 ₡844.1K

1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡565.1K

$1,240 ₡557.6K

1.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡340.6K

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 31, 2026

Last update for Desamparados: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6%

Desamparados

$636 37.6% 0.6% $3.7

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

Desamparados

$372 22% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

Desamparados

$228 13.5% 18.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

Desamparados

$181 10.7% 1.2% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

Desamparados

$175 10.3% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

Desamparados

$84 5% 1.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Desamparados

$15 * 0.9% 3% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $793 in Playa del Coco versus $800 in Desamparados. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Playa del Coco versus $59 in Desamparados. Groceries tell a different story – $373 in Playa del Coco vs $372 in Desamparados – so Desamparados wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Coco Desamparados 190 km

From you

Playa del Coco
Desamparados

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 Desamparados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,748 in Playa del Coco, $1,692 in Desamparados – Desamparados comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,621 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,538 in Desamparados. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $793 in Playa del Coco and $800 in Desamparados. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,692 in Desamparados. That makes Desamparados about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $843 per month in Playa del Coco and $845 in Desamparados. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,692 in Desamparados, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Coco has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Desamparados to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.