Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Santa Teresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,530 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
Learn more

Santa Teresa Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,530 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,748
Santa Teresa $1,530

A couple spends around $2,758 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,295 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,758
Santa Teresa $2,295

A family of three spends $3,768 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,061 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,768
Santa Teresa $3,061

Playa del Coco costs about 14% more than Santa Teresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Coco and Santa Teresa sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 29%, Santa Teresa by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,145

$9.90 ₡4,459

82.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$42.31 ₡19.1K

39.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,288

$9.71 ₡4,374

20.91%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,920

$3.70 ₡1,667

15.14%

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

$2.62 ₡1,181

$2.04 ₡917

28.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡734

$1.63 ₡735

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,621

$3.03 ₡1,366

18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,759

$4.55 ₡2,048

34.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,098

$2.05 ₡925

19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,274

$2.82 ₡1,270

0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,097

$2.16 ₡972

12.96%

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,587

$2.98 ₡1,344

18.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,903

$10.01 ₡4,509

8.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,604

$8.97 ₡4,042

13.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,389

$13.60 ₡6,127

4.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,274

$4.56 ₡2,052

10.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.44 ₡651

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,478

$4.12 ₡1,856

-20.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,575

$3.07 ₡1,385

14.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,367

$3.39 ₡1,526

-10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,457

$2.58 ₡1,161

25.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$1.01 ₡455

7.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,202

$2.85 ₡1,282

-6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,499

$5.09 ₡2,292

9.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,555

$13.79 ₡6,211

21.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,197

$2.36 ₡1,063

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,196

$2.62 ₡1,179

1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡606

$0.96 ₡433

40.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,123

$1.84 ₡830

35.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.83 ₡826

-12.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,980

$7.95 ₡3,580

11.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡681

$1.46 ₡659

3.42%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$38.4K ₡17.3M

-11.83%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

$32.7K ₡14.7M

25.72%

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

$94.3 ₡42.5K

$84.9 ₡38.2K

11.11%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$26.16 ₡11.8K

15.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$50.4 ₡22.7K

17.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.1K

$50.1 ₡22.6K

33.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.66 ₡10.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,514

$8.89 ₡4,004

-12.26%

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

$843 ₡379.9K

$573 ₡257.9K

47.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$12.4K ₡5.6M

36.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$61.8 ₡27.8K

17.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.4K

$51.2 ₡23.0K

10.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$127 ₡57.4K

0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

$107 ₡48.0K

22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡357.2K

$706 ₡318.2K

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡288.3K

$592 ₡266.6K

8.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡859.6K

$1,461 ₡657.9K

30.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡566.0K

$955 ₡430.0K

31.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡341.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.17

-15.24%

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 Teresa: 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 Teresa

$592 38.7% 7.5% $48

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

Santa Teresa

$346 22.6% 7% $26

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

Santa Teresa

$192 12.5% 31.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

Santa Teresa

$161 10.6% 12.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

Santa Teresa

$156 10.2% 10.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4% 17.7% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1% 6.6% $1.1

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 $706 in Santa Teresa. 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 $42 in Santa Teresa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $346 – making Santa Teresa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,099

💱 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

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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 Santa Teresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco costs about 14% more than Santa Teresa, 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 $2,295 in Santa Teresa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Teresa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $706 there versus $793 in Playa del Coco.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Playa del Coco and $42 in Santa Teresa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Playa del Coco, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,530 in Santa Teresa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Teresa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.