Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Jaco Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaco Beach: $1,445 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Jaco Beach
Learn more

Jaco Beach Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Jaco Beach

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco and in Jaco Beach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,676 in Playa del Coco versus $1,445 in Jaco Beach.

Playa del Coco $1,676
Jaco Beach $1,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,700 in Playa del Coco versus $2,296 in Jaco Beach.

Playa del Coco $2,700
Jaco Beach $2,296

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Playa del Coco versus $3,147 in Jaco Beach.

Playa del Coco $3,724
Jaco Beach $3,147

Living in Playa del Coco is roughly 16% more expensive than in Jaco Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa del Coco 23% above, Jaco Beach 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.46 ₡8,328

$11.32 ₡5,106

63.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.2K

$43.14 ₡19.5K

34.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 ₡6,030

$10.22 ₡4,612

30.72%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,965

$3.99 ₡1,799

9.02%

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

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.40 ₡1,085

10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡724

$1.87 ₡844

-14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₡1,613

$3.19 ₡1,441

12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,774

$4.33 ₡1,954

42.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ₡1,039

$1.98 ₡892

16.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ₡1,260

$2.19 ₡989

27.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$2.39 ₡1,078

2.09%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,605

$2.60 ₡1,175

36.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,764

$10.78 ₡4,865

-2.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,776

$8.88 ₡4,008

19.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 ₡7,264

$12.11 ₡5,466

32.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 ₡2,516

$4.95 ₡2,233

12.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₡798

$1.66 ₡748

6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.75 ₡2,141

-19.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,614

$3.42 ₡1,544

4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,548

$1.50 ₡676

128.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,386

$1.42 ₡641

116.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₡542

$0.99 ₡447

21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,206

$1.99 ₡900

34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,623

$6.01 ₡2,711

-3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 ₡7,517

$13.81 ₡6,231

20.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.64 ₡1,192

-4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$2.18 ₡985

21.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡600

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$2.49 ₡1,125

-1.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.63 ₡735

-4.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 ₡4,198

$8.53 ₡3,848

9.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡714

$1.57 ₡707

0.64%

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

$34.3K ₡15.5M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

1.29%

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

$41.0K ₡18.5M

$42.6K ₡19.2M

-3.87%

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

$93.6 ₡42.2K

$79.6 ₡35.9K

17.65%

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

$29.79 ₡13.4K

$23.88 ₡10.8K

24.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

$47.69 ₡21.5K

22.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ₡32.1K

$52.0 ₡23.4K

36.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₡3,240

$7.72 ₡3,483

-6.99%

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

$756 ₡340.9K

$479 ₡216.3K

57.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$7,442 ₡3.4M

128.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 ₡37.1K

$25.50 ₡11.5K

222.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.1K

$56.2 ₡25.4K

-1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡49.6K

$127 ₡57.3K

-13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₡52.5K

$133 ₡59.8K

-12.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ₡397.8K

$748 ₡337.6K

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ₡252.1K

$526 ₡237.2K

6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 ₡893.1K

$1,984 ₡895.4K

-0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡538.1K

$1,099 ₡495.8K

8.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.3K

$402 ₡181.3K

92.13%

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 Jaco Beach: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3%

Jaco Beach

$526 36.4% 5.9% $33

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9%

Jaco Beach

$326 22.6% 15.1% $58

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1%

Jaco Beach

$211 14.6% 26.6% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8%

Jaco Beach

$151 10.5% 16.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8%

Jaco Beach

$154 10.6% 6.3% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1%

Jaco Beach

$67 4.7% 21.1% $18

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Jaco Beach

$11 * 0.7% 31.5% $4.9

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 $882 in Playa del Coco and $748 in Jaco Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Coco pays 92% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $58 in Playa del Coco vs $43 in Jaco Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $326 per month, with Jaco Beach cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Jaco Beach

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

💱 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 Jaco Beach 160 km

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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 Jaco Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jaco Beach is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 92% higher in Playa del Coco, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $882 in Playa del Coco versus $748 in Jaco Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $756 in Playa del Coco versus $479 in Jaco Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jaco Beach – a meal for two runs $43 versus $58 in Playa del Coco. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 – Jaco Beach wins on affordability, Playa del Coco on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.