Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and San Rafael Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and San Rafael

😐 Solo nomad: Playa del Coco is 33.7% more expensive than San Rafael without rent, and 10.9% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Playa del Coco is 29.8% more expensive than San Rafael without rent, and 9.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.98 ₡7,557
$10.80 ₡5,107
47.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.9 ₡37.8K
$58.7 ₡27.7K
36.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.82 ₡4,643
$10.05 ₡4,751
-2.29%
Cappuccino
$7.13 ₡3,370
$3.90 ₡1,846
82.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 ₡1,129
$1.98 ₡938
20.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₡920
$1.60 ₡757
21.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.23 ₡1,525
$3.03 ₡1,434
6.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.89 ₡2,783
$4.74 ₡2,242
24.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.57 ₡1,216
$2.07 ₡978
24.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 ₡1,366
$2.85 ₡1,346
1.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.14 ₡1,011
$2.22 ₡1,049
-3.60%
Eggs
$2.88 ₡1,359
$3.02 ₡1,426
-4.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.63 ₡4,081
$10.12 ₡4,784
-14.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.08 ₡6,186
$8.99 ₡4,251
45.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.94 ₡6,589
$13.92 ₡6,581
0.14%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 ₡2,153
$4.54 ₡2,146
0.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 ₡695
$1.46 ₡692
0.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 ₡2,060
$4.32 ₡2,044
0.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.67 ₡791
$3.47 ₡1,641
-51.87%
Potato (1kg)
$3.36 ₡1,591
$3.57 ₡1,688
-5.88%
Onion (1kg)
$3.05 ₡1,444
$3.09 ₡1,461
-1.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.97 ₡459
$1.03 ₡489
-5.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 ₡1,345
$2.82 ₡1,332
0.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.98 ₡2,356
$5.13 ₡2,426
-2.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.71 ₡6,954
$20.28 ₡9,590
-27.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₡1,040
$2.41 ₡1,137
-8.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,205
$2.79 ₡1,317
-8.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 ₡557
$1.00 ₡475
18.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ₡1,430
$1.87 ₡884
61.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 ₡851
$1.81 ₡855
-0.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 ₡3,821
$7.86 ₡3,716
2.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 ₡901
$1.46 ₡688
30.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K ₡18.0M
$37.3K ₡17.7M
2.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4K ₡15.3M
$32.8K ₡15.5M
-1.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 ₡83.2K
$94.7 ₡44.8K
85.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.89 ₡12.2K
$26.18 ₡12.4K
-1.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.6 ₡28.6K
$59.6 ₡28.2K
1.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.6 ₡27.2K
$57.0 ₡27.0K
0.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.16 ₡11.4K
$24.33 ₡11.5K
-0.70%
Cinema Ticket
$9.83 ₡4,646
$9.70 ₡4,585
1.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 ₡246.8K
$563 ₡266.2K
-7.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K ₡6.0M
$12.9K ₡6.1M
-1.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.6 ₡29.6K
$62.9 ₡29.7K
-0.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.2 ₡24.7K
$51.8 ₡24.5K
0.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 ₡59.5K
$128 ₡60.7K
-1.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 ₡51.6K
$109 ₡51.6K
-0.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ₡357.3K
$751 ₡354.9K
0.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 ₡287.1K
$599 ₡283.2K
1.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,497 ₡707.5K
$1,536 ₡726.2K
-2.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$968 ₡457.8K
$948 ₡448.0K
2.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$317 ₡149.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Coco
San Rafael
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$740 ₡350.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.17
10.17
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Coco: March 2, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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