Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Quesada

For one person, living is cheaper in Quesada: $1,680 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $820 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Quesada
Learn more

Quesada Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Quesada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,680

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,680 in Quesada, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,748
Quesada $1,680

A couple spends around $2,758 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,668 in Quesada, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,758
Quesada $2,668

A family of three spends $3,768 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,656 in Quesada, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,768
Quesada $3,656

Playa del Coco costs about 4% more than Quesada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Coco and Quesada sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 29%, Quesada by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,131

$12.40 ₡5,576

45.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$61.7 ₡27.8K

-4.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,279

$11.57 ₡5,204

1.47%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,917

$4.57 ₡2,056

-6.78%

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

$2.62 ₡1,179

$2.75 ₡1,236

-4.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.92 ₡865

-15.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,619

$3.27 ₡1,471

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,755

$2.49 ₡1,119

146.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$2.41 ₡1,084

1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,272

$2.76 ₡1,240

2.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.45 ₡1,102

-0.41%

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,584

$2.60 ₡1,171

35.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,895

$10.68 ₡4,802

1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,596

$10.58 ₡4,759

-3.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,379

$13.85 ₡6,228

2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,270

$5.19 ₡2,333

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$1.60 ₡718

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,476

$1.12 ₡505

192.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$3.82 ₡1,719

-8.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,364

$3.92 ₡1,762

-22.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,454

$3.58 ₡1,611

-9.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.12 ₡503

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,200

$3.22 ₡1,448

-17.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,494

$5.79 ₡2,605

-4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,543

$15.29 ₡6,878

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.79 ₡1,254

-4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$3.58 ₡1,608

-25.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.36 ₡610

-0.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,121

$1.55 ₡697

60.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡723

$1.63 ₡735

-1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,973

$8.90 ₡4,003

-0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.52 ₡682

-0.66%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$34.4K ₡15.5M

-1.61%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

$41.9K ₡18.9M

-1.87%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$96.0 ₡43.2K

-1.74%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$29.80 ₡13.4K

1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$55.5 ₡24.9K

6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$68.6 ₡30.8K

-2.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 ₡7,491

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,508

$5.35 ₡2,405

45.79%

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

$843 ₡379.3K

$253 ₡113.8K

233.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$4,284 ₡1.9M

295.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$70.3 ₡31.6K

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.3K

$57.1 ₡25.7K

-1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

$130 ₡58.3K

-0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$112 ₡50.3K

16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡356.6K

$817 ₡367.3K

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡287.8K

$638 ₡287.1K

0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡858.2K

$1,921 ₡863.8K

-0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡565.1K

$1,264 ₡568.6K

-0.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,128 ₡1.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.1K

$2,196 ₡987.4K

-85.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡340.6K

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 Quesada: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6%

Quesada

$638 38% 0.2% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

Quesada

$371 22.1% 0.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

Quesada

$229 13.6% 17.8% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

Quesada

$181 10.8% 1.3% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

Quesada

$166 9.9% 5% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

Quesada

$79 4.7% 3.8% $3.1

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Quesada

$15 * 0.9% 4.8% $0.8

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 $817 in Quesada. 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 in Playa del Coco versus $62 in Quesada. Groceries tell a different story – $373 in Playa del Coco vs $371 in Quesada – so Quesada wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Quesada

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,000

💱 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 Quesada 140 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 Quesada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco costs about 4% more than Quesada, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,621 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,520 in Quesada. 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 $817 in Quesada. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,680 in Quesada. That makes Quesada about 4% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Playa del Coco and $62 in Quesada. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,680 in Quesada, 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 $1,680 in Quesada to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.