Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Santa Cruz, Costa Rica

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Coco and in Santa Cruz: $1,748 and $1,711 a month, rent and utilities included.

83

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

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,711

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco and in Santa Cruz

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

A single person spends $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,711 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,748
Santa Cruz $1,711

A couple spends around $2,758 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,714 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,758
Santa Cruz $2,714

A family of three spends $3,768 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,718 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,768
Santa Cruz $3,718

Playa del Coco and Santa Cruz have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,128

$12.17 ₡5,472

48.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$61.9 ₡27.8K

-4.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,277

$11.04 ₡4,960

6.34%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,916

$4.49 ₡2,017

-5.12%

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

$2.62 ₡1,178

$2.30 ₡1,034

13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.86 ₡838

-12.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,618

$3.38 ₡1,521

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,754

$4.53 ₡2,038

35.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$2.40 ₡1,078

1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,271

$3.15 ₡1,415

-10.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.41 ₡1,084

1.24%

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,583

$3.59 ₡1,616

-1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,893

$10.64 ₡4,783

2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,594

$10.45 ₡4,697

-2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,376

$13.90 ₡6,248

2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,269

$5.00 ₡2,248

1.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$1.11 ₡500

47.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,475

$4.73 ₡2,125

-30.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,571

$3.95 ₡1,773

-11.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,364

$3.86 ₡1,735

-21.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,453

$3.60 ₡1,616

-10.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.12 ₡505

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,200

$3.12 ₡1,402

-14.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,493

$5.86 ₡2,632

-5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,539

$19.93 ₡8,958

-15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,194

$2.76 ₡1,242

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,193

$3.53 ₡1,586

-24.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.30 ₡582

3.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,121

$2.43 ₡1,091

2.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡722

$1.55 ₡699

3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,972

$8.47 ₡3,806

4.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.57 ₡705

-3.82%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.95%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-0.45%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$95.7 ₡43.0K

-1.45%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$35.08 ₡15.8K

-13.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.5K

$60.4 ₡27.2K

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$66.5 ₡29.9K

0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,506

$6.68 ₡3,002

16.77%

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

$843 ₡379.1K

$997 ₡448.1K

-15.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-1.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$70.5 ₡31.7K

3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.3K

$56.6 ₡25.4K

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.8K

$130 ₡58.3K

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡356.4K

$807 ₡362.7K

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡287.7K

$626 ₡281.5K

2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡857.8K

$1,909 ₡858.0K

-0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡564.8K

$1,252 ₡562.7K

0.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡340.5K

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 Santa Cruz: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6%

Santa Cruz

$626 36.6% 2.2% $14

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

Santa Cruz

$397 23.2% 6.6% $25

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

Santa Cruz

$227 13.3% 18.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

Santa Cruz

$191 11.2% 4.1% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

Santa Cruz

$174 10.2% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

Santa Cruz

$80 4.7% 3.1% $2.5

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Santa Cruz

$15 * 0.9% 3.3% $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 $793 in Playa del Coco versus $807 in Santa Cruz. 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 Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $397 – making Playa del Coco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,665

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Coco Santa Cruz 35 km

From you

Playa del Coco
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,621 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,567 in Santa Cruz. 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 $807 in Santa Cruz. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% 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 Santa Cruz. 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 $1,711 in Santa Cruz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.