Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,733 a month against $1,936 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Escazu 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,733 in Playa del Coco versus $1,936 in Escazu.

Playa del Coco $1,733
Escazu $1,936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,750 in Playa del Coco versus $2,971 in Escazu.

Playa del Coco $2,750
Escazu $2,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,767 in Playa del Coco versus $4,007 in Escazu.

Playa del Coco $3,767
Escazu $4,007

Living in Playa del Coco costs roughly 11% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa del Coco 28% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.40 ₡8,254

$12.28 ₡5,505

49.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 ₡26.3K

$61.5 ₡27.6K

-4.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 ₡5,238

$11.72 ₡5,256

-0.34%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,945

$4.43 ₡1,986

-2.03%

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

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.75 ₡1,234

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₡724

$1.91 ₡858

-15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.24 ₡1,451

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 ₡2,673

$4.35 ₡1,950

37.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,069

$2.40 ₡1,076

-0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,269

$3.06 ₡1,374

-7.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,120

$2.42 ₡1,086

3.31%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,584

$3.49 ₡1,565

1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.85 ₡4,867

$10.68 ₡4,792

1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,657

$10.54 ₡4,726

-1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 ₡6,399

$14.23 ₡6,384

0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,265

$5.02 ₡2,253

0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.63 ₡729

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 ₡1,482

$3.29 ₡1,476

0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 ₡1,573

$3.00 ₡1,346

17.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 ₡1,361

$3.78 ₡1,697

-19.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 ₡1,373

$3.75 ₡1,681

-18.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡499

$1.04 ₡467

6.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₡1,210

$1.67 ₡748

61.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 ₡2,552

$5.47 ₡2,451

4.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.50 ₡7,399

$18.60 ₡8,343

-11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,180

$1.68 ₡754

56.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₡1,223

$2.74 ₡1,230

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.11 ₡498

16.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,068

$1.99 ₡894

19.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 ₡708

$1.62 ₡724

-2.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,822

$8.62 ₡3,868

-1.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$1.47 ₡661

2.72%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$27.7K ₡12.4M

-18.94%

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

$34.3K ₡15.4M

$36.5K ₡16.4M

-6.06%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$96.4 ₡43.3K

-1.31%

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

$29.51 ₡13.2K

$29.58 ₡13.3K

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.5K

$107 ₡47.9K

-32.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 ₡4,558

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$7.86 ₡3,524

-1.53%

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

$850 ₡381.0K

$448 ₡201.0K

89.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$56.0 ₡25.1K

-0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$127 ₡57.0K

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.1K

$132 ₡59.3K

-2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 ₡364.0K

$833 ₡373.8K

-2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 ₡277.4K

$846 ₡379.5K

-26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 ₡853.0K

$1,930 ₡865.8K

-1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 ₡559.5K

$1,518 ₡681.0K

-17.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,387 ₡621.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$332 ₡148.9K

$963 ₡432.0K

-65.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 ₡339.1K

$1,761 ₡789.9K

-57.07%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$618 35.7%

Escazu

$846 43.7% 36.8% $228

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.5%

Escazu

$363 18.7% 2.7% $10

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$281 16.2%

Escazu

$230 11.9% 18% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$185 10.7%

Escazu

$186 9.6% 0.8% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$172 9.9%

Escazu

$174 9% 0.8% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$88 5.1%

Escazu

$123 6.3% 39.2% $35

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$15 * 0.9%

Escazu

$15 * 0.8% 6.1% $0.9

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 $812 in Playa del Coco and $833 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 133% 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: $59.0 in Playa del Coco vs $62.0 in Escazu. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $363, with Escazu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Playa del Coco Escazu 180 km

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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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Escazu. 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: $812 in Playa del Coco versus $833 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Escazu pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,733 per month in Playa del Coco versus $1,936 in Escazu – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,733 in Playa del Coco versus $1,936 in Escazu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Playa del Coco but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Coco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Coco and Escazu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.