Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,601 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
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Guadalupe Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,601 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,748
Guadalupe $1,601

A couple spends around $2,758 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,490 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,758
Guadalupe $2,490

A family of three spends $3,768 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,379 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,768
Guadalupe $3,379

Playa del Coco costs about 9% more than Guadalupe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Coco and Guadalupe sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 29%, Guadalupe by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,131

$11.11 ₡4,996

62.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$32.87 ₡14.8K

79.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,279

$8.77 ₡3,942

33.87%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,917

$3.25 ₡1,460

31.08%

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

$2.62 ₡1,179

$2.15 ₡966

21.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.86 ₡837

-12.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,619

$3.36 ₡1,513

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,755

$4.41 ₡1,983

39.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$2.16 ₡973

12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,272

$3.19 ₡1,436

-11.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.44 ₡1,098

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,584

$3.48 ₡1,566

1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,895

$9.60 ₡4,319

13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,596

$9.95 ₡4,472

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,379

$13.84 ₡6,223

2.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,270

$5.11 ₡2,299

-1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$1.63 ₡734

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,476

$4.71 ₡2,118

-30.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$3.77 ₡1,695

-7.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,364

$3.91 ₡1,759

-22.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,454

$3.71 ₡1,666

-12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.11 ₡499

-1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,200

$3.09 ₡1,392

-13.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,494

$4.46 ₡2,004

24.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,543

$20.12 ₡9,047

-16.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.76 ₡1,241

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$3.58 ₡1,611

-25.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.35 ₡606

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,121

$2.06 ₡926

20.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡723

$1.60 ₡721

0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,973

$8.94 ₡4,019

-1.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.42 ₡637

6.34%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$25.9K ₡11.6M

30.92%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

$41.5K ₡18.7M

-0.80%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$35.93 ₡16.2K

162.54%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$26.33 ₡11.8K

15.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$54.3 ₡24.4K

8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$66.9 ₡30.1K

-0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,508

$7.80 ₡3,510

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

$843 ₡379.3K

$990 ₡445.0K

-14.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-0.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$70.3 ₡31.6K

3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.3K

$43.98 ₡19.8K

28.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

$131 ₡59.0K

-1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$98.4 ₡44.3K

32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡356.6K

$819 ₡368.4K

-3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡287.8K

$644 ₡289.4K

-0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡858.2K

$1,873 ₡842.4K

1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡565.1K

$1,253 ₡563.6K

0.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡340.6K

$1,232 ₡553.9K

-38.50%

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 Guadalupe: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6%

Guadalupe

$644 40.2% 0.6% $3.5

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

Guadalupe

$392 24.5% 5.3% $20

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

Guadalupe

$196 12.2% 29.6% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

Guadalupe

$117 7.3% 36.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

Guadalupe

$155 9.7% 11.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

Guadalupe

$83 5.2% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Guadalupe

$15 * 1% 2.8% $0.4

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 $819 in Guadalupe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 63% higher in Guadalupe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Playa del Coco versus $33 in Guadalupe. Groceries tell a different story – $373 in Playa del Coco vs $392 in Guadalupe – so Playa del Coco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,000

💱 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

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Playa del Coco Guadalupe 190 km

From you

Playa del Coco
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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 Guadalupe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,748 in Playa del Coco, $1,601 in Guadalupe – Guadalupe comes out roughly 8% 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 $2,401 in Guadalupe. 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 $819 in Guadalupe. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Playa del Coco and $33 in Guadalupe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Playa del Coco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,601 in Guadalupe, 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 $1,601 in Guadalupe to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.