Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Ojochal

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Coco and in Ojochal: $1,733 and $1,687 a month, rent and utilities included.

84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Ojochal
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Ojochal Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Ojochal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,733 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,687 in Ojochal, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,733
Ojochal $1,687

A couple spends around $2,750 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,675 in Ojochal, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,750
Ojochal $2,675

A family of three spends $3,767 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,664 in Ojochal, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,767
Ojochal $3,664

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

Both Playa del Coco and Ojochal sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 28%, Ojochal by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.40 ₡8,254

$11.90 ₡5,338

54.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 ₡26.3K

$57.3 ₡25.7K

2.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 ₡5,238

$11.51 ₡5,161

1.48%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,945

$4.16 ₡1,865

4.33%

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

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.65 ₡1,186

-4.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₡724

$1.87 ₡839

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.36 ₡1,505

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 ₡2,673

$4.38 ₡1,963

36.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,069

$2.34 ₡1,051

1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,269

$2.78 ₡1,247

1.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,120

$2.50 ₡1,123

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,584

$3.40 ₡1,527

3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.85 ₡4,867

$10.83 ₡4,856

0.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,657

$10.61 ₡4,758

-2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 ₡6,399

$13.86 ₡6,217

2.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,265

$5.22 ₡2,339

-3.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.63 ₡732

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 ₡1,482

$3.27 ₡1,467

1.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 ₡1,573

$3.45 ₡1,546

1.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 ₡1,361

$2.99 ₡1,339

1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 ₡1,373

$3.05 ₡1,370

0.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡499

$1.12 ₡503

-0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₡1,210

$2.67 ₡1,197

1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 ₡2,552

$5.59 ₡2,508

1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.50 ₡7,399

$16.23 ₡7,281

1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,180

$2.56 ₡1,150

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₡1,223

$2.70 ₡1,209

1.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.35 ₡604

-4.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,068

$2.42 ₡1,085

-1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 ₡708

$1.64 ₡733

-3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,822

$8.74 ₡3,921

-2.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$1.50 ₡673

0.67%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

3.87%

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

$34.3K ₡15.4M

$35.4K ₡15.9M

-3.20%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-0.06%

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

$29.51 ₡13.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡26.9K

$59.4 ₡26.6K

0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.6 ₡32.5K

$72.2 ₡32.4K

0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,471

$7.74 ₡3,470

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

$850 ₡381.0K

$851 ₡381.6K

-0.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$17.0K ₡7.6M

1.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$72.6 ₡32.5K

-2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$56.0 ₡25.1K

-0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$129 ₡57.9K

-1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.1K

$132 ₡59.2K

-1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 ₡364.0K

$812 ₡364.3K

-0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 ₡277.4K

$631 ₡282.8K

-1.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 ₡853.0K

$1,880 ₡843.1K

1.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 ₡559.5K

$1,277 ₡572.5K

-2.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$332 ₡148.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 ₡339.1K

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 Ojochal: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$618 35.7%

Ojochal

$631 37.4% 1.9% $12

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.5%

Ojochal

$370 22% 0.7% $2.6

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$281 16.2%

Ojochal

$223 13.2% 20.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$185 10.7%

Ojochal

$184 10.9% 0.3% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$172 9.9%

Ojochal

$175 10.4% 1.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$88 5.1%

Ojochal

$88 5.2% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$15 * 0.9%

Ojochal

$16 * 1% 3.5% $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 $812 in Playa del Coco versus $812 in Ojochal. 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 $59.0 in Playa del Coco versus $57.0 in Ojochal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $370 – making Ojochal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Ojochal

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,540

💱 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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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 Ojochal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,733 in Playa del Coco, $1,687 in Ojochal – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,599 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,531 in Ojochal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ojochal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,733 in Playa del Coco and $1,687 in Ojochal. That's a gap of about 3%.

Kindergarten costs $850 per month in Playa del Coco and $851 in Ojochal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ojochal, where all-in costs run around $1,687, than in Playa del Coco at $1,733. In Ojochal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Coco it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ojochal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ojochal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Coco makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.