Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and San Rafael, Costa Rica

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Coco and in San Rafael: $1,748 and $1,718 a month, rent and utilities included.

83

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
Learn more

San Rafael Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,718 in San Rafael, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,748
San Rafael $1,718

A couple spends around $2,758 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,741 in San Rafael, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,758
San Rafael $2,741

A family of three spends $3,768 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,765 in San Rafael, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,768
San Rafael $3,765

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

Both Playa del Coco and San Rafael sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 29%, San Rafael by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,131

$12.45 ₡5,597

45.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$62.3 ₡28.0K

-5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,279

$11.82 ₡5,315

-0.68%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,917

$4.34 ₡1,951

-1.84%

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

$2.62 ₡1,179

$2.61 ₡1,174

0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.93 ₡866

-15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,619

$3.30 ₡1,484

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,755

$4.46 ₡2,007

37.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$2.31 ₡1,039

5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,272

$3.06 ₡1,375

-7.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.39 ₡1,074

2.09%

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,584

$3.53 ₡1,589

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,895

$10.70 ₡4,813

1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,596

$10.61 ₡4,772

-3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,379

$13.86 ₡6,232

2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,270

$5.12 ₡2,301

-1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$1.60 ₡717

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,476

$4.89 ₡2,197

-32.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$3.82 ₡1,718

-8.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,364

$3.72 ₡1,671

-18.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,454

$3.71 ₡1,666

-12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.13 ₡509

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,200

$3.20 ₡1,439

-16.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,494

$6.00 ₡2,696

-7.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,543

$19.67 ₡8,846

-14.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.87 ₡1,291

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$3.55 ₡1,595

-25.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.35 ₡607

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,121

$2.46 ₡1,107

1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡723

$1.62 ₡728

-0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,973

$8.85 ₡3,978

-0.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.56 ₡702

-3.21%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-0.26%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

$42.2K ₡19.0M

-2.53%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$96.5 ₡43.4K

-2.24%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$35.72 ₡16.1K

-15.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$59.7 ₡26.9K

-1.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$68.3 ₡30.7K

-2.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,508

$7.73 ₡3,478

0.91%

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

$843 ₡379.3K

$985 ₡442.8K

-14.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$72.3 ₡32.5K

0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.3K

$56.9 ₡25.6K

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

$127 ₡56.9K

1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$133 ₡59.6K

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡356.6K

$795 ₡357.3K

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡287.8K

$621 ₡279.3K

3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡858.2K

$1,888 ₡849.2K

1.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡565.1K

$1,271 ₡571.8K

-1.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.1K

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 San Rafael: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6%

San Rafael

$621 36.1% 3% $19

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

San Rafael

$400 23.3% 7.4% $28

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

San Rafael

$231 13.4% 17.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

San Rafael

$192 11.2% 4.5% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

San Rafael

$175 10.2% 0% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

San Rafael

$84 4.9% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

San Rafael

$16 * 0.9% 0.3% $0

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 $795 in San Rafael. 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 San Rafael. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $400 – making Playa del Coco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Coco San Rafael 180 km

From you

Playa del Coco
San Rafael

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,621 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,577 in San Rafael. 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 $795 in San Rafael. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Playa del Coco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Playa del Coco and $62 in San Rafael. 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 $1,718 in San Rafael, 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 $1,718 in San Rafael to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.