Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and San Francisco

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Coco and in San Francisco: $1,676 and $1,668 a month, rent and utilities included.

84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
Learn more

San Francisco Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco and in San Francisco

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

A single person spends $1,676 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,668 in San Francisco, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,676
San Francisco $1,668

A couple spends around $2,700 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,674 in San Francisco, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,700
San Francisco $2,674

A family of three spends $3,724 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,680 in San Francisco, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,724
San Francisco $3,680

Playa del Coco and San Francisco have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.46 ₡8,328

$10.03 ₡4,524

84.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.2K

$61.7 ₡27.8K

-5.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 ₡6,030

$11.13 ₡5,024

20.04%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,965

$4.56 ₡2,058

-4.61%

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

$2.65 ₡1,197

$1.29 ₡584

105.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡724

$1.71 ₡774

-6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₡1,613

$3.37 ₡1,520

6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,774

$4.48 ₡2,020

37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ₡1,039

$2.43 ₡1,095

-5.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ₡1,260

$3.03 ₡1,367

-7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$2.39 ₡1,079

2.09%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,605

$3.44 ₡1,553

3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,764

$10.88 ₡4,911

-2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,776

$10.40 ₡4,691

1.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 ₡7,264

$13.82 ₡6,237

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 ₡2,516

$5.21 ₡2,353

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₡798

$1.65 ₡745

7.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,731

$4.79 ₡2,160

-19.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,614

$3.87 ₡1,744

-7.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,548

$3.92 ₡1,770

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,386

$3.74 ₡1,689

-17.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₡542

$1.09 ₡491

10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,206

$3.10 ₡1,401

-13.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,623

$5.82 ₡2,625

-0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 ₡7,517

$19.69 ₡8,883

-15.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.85 ₡1,286

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$3.55 ₡1,600

-25.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡600

$1.37 ₡620

-2.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ₡29.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,110

$1.74 ₡787

41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.62 ₡730

-4.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 ₡4,198

$8.88 ₡4,008

4.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡714

$1.53 ₡689

3.27%

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

$34.3K ₡15.5M

$34.0K ₡15.3M

0.94%

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

$41.0K ₡18.5M

$42.8K ₡19.3M

-4.36%

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

$93.6 ₡42.2K

$76.4 ₡34.5K

22.58%

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

$29.79 ₡13.4K

$32.60 ₡14.7K

-8.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.3K

$48.89 ₡22.1K

19.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ₡32.1K

$68.8 ₡31.0K

3.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₡3,240

$7.52 ₡3,394

-4.52%

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

$756 ₡340.9K

$989 ₡446.2K

-23.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-0.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 ₡37.1K

$70.4 ₡31.8K

16.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.1K

$56.9 ₡25.7K

-2.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡49.6K

$65.6 ₡29.6K

67.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₡52.5K

$54.7 ₡24.7K

112.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ₡397.8K

$799 ₡360.4K

10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ₡252.1K

$628 ₡283.3K

-11.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 ₡893.1K

$1,905 ₡859.4K

3.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡538.1K

$1,287 ₡580.8K

-7.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.3K

$895 ₡404.0K

-13.79%

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 San Francisco: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3%

San Francisco

$628 37.6% 12.4% $69

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9%

San Francisco

$400 24% 4.2% $16

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1%

San Francisco

$206 12.4% 28.2% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8%

San Francisco

$158 9.5% 13.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8%

San Francisco

$111 6.7% 32% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1%

San Francisco

$84 5% 1.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

San Francisco

$81 4.9% 423% $66

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 $799 in San Francisco. 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 16% higher in San Francisco. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Playa del Coco versus $62 in San Francisco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $400 – making Playa del Coco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,923

💱 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 San Francisco 190 km

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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 San Francisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,514 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,503 in San Francisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $882 in Playa del Coco and $799 in San Francisco. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Playa del Coco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Playa del Coco and $62 in San Francisco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,676 in Playa del Coco and $1,668 in San Francisco, 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 $1,668 in San Francisco to $1,676 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.