Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanacaste: $1,534 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Coco despite lower rent and utilities.

84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,676 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,676
Guanacaste $1,534

A couple spends around $2,700 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,421 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,700
Guanacaste $2,421

A family of three spends $3,724 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,307 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,724
Guanacaste $3,307

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

Both Playa del Coco and Guanacaste sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 23%, Guanacaste by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.46 ₡8,332

$10.77 ₡4,862

71.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.2K

$47.69 ₡21.5K

21.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 ₡6,032

$11.68 ₡5,272

14.38%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,966

$4.44 ₡2,004

-2.03%

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

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.70 ₡1,221

-1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡724

$1.93 ₡871

-17.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₡1,614

$3.10 ₡1,399

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,776

$4.47 ₡2,020

37.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ₡1,040

$2.04 ₡922

12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ₡1,260

$3.19 ₡1,440

-12.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,103

$2.42 ₡1,091

0.83%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,606

$3.59 ₡1,619

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,766

$5.63 ₡2,544

87.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,778

$4.30 ₡1,943

146.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 ₡7,267

$11.09 ₡5,007

45.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 ₡2,517

$2.68 ₡1,210

107.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₡798

$1.57 ₡709

12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,732

$4.40 ₡1,989

-12.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,615

$1.53 ₡689

133.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,549

$3.86 ₡1,745

-11.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$2.25 ₡1,017

36.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₡543

$0.90 ₡406

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,207

$3.07 ₡1,386

-13.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,624

$4.34 ₡1,959

33.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 ₡7,521

$20.25 ₡9,144

-17.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,132

$2.80 ₡1,262

-10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,195

$2.66 ₡1,202

-0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡600

$1.29 ₡584

3.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.50 ₡1,128

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.57 ₡707

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 ₡4,200

$8.85 ₡3,997

5.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡714

$1.57 ₡709

0.64%

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

$34.3K ₡15.5M

$33.7K ₡15.2M

1.83%

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

$41.0K ₡18.5M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-0.69%

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

$93.6 ₡42.3K

$93.5 ₡42.2K

0.07%

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

$29.79 ₡13.4K

$36.18 ₡16.3K

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

$32.69 ₡14.8K

78.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ₡32.1K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

6.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₡3,241

$7.85 ₡3,544

-8.54%

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

$756 ₡341.1K

$968 ₡437.0K

-21.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$17.5K ₡7.9M

-2.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 ₡37.1K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.1K

$44.53 ₡20.1K

24.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡49.6K

$86.6 ₡39.1K

27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₡52.5K

$78.2 ₡35.3K

48.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ₡398.0K

$795 ₡359.0K

10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ₡252.2K

$620 ₡279.8K

-9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 ₡893.5K

$1,899 ₡857.1K

4.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡538.4K

$1,279 ₡577.4K

-6.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.4K

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 Guanacaste: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3%

Guanacaste

$620 40.4% 10.9% $61

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9%

Guanacaste

$312 20.4% 18.6% $72

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1%

Guanacaste

$217 14.2% 24.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8%

Guanacaste

$162 10.6% 10.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8%

Guanacaste

$124 8.1% 24.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1%

Guanacaste

$82 5.4% 3.8% $3.3

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Guanacaste

$16 * 1% 0.3% $0

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $882 in Playa del Coco versus $795 in Guanacaste. 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 $58 in Playa del Coco versus $48 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $312 – making Guanacaste the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,823

💱 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

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Between locations

Playa del Coco Guanacaste 59 km

From you

Playa del Coco
Guanacaste

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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Coco is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,514 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,301 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guanacaste, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $795 there versus $882 in Playa del Coco.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,676 in Playa del Coco and $1,534 in Guanacaste. That makes Guanacaste about 9% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $756 per month in Playa del Coco and $968 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,676 in Playa del Coco and $1,534 in Guanacaste. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.