Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Tamarindo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Tamarindo

😐 Solo nomad: Playa del Coco is 6% more expensive than Tamarindo without rent, and 1.6% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Playa del Coco is 16.4% more expensive than Tamarindo without rent, and 8.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.98 ₡7,549
$10.97 ₡5,181
45.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.9 ₡37.7K
$59.3 ₡28.0K
34.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.82 ₡4,638
$9.41 ₡4,444
4.36%
Cappuccino
$7.13 ₡3,366
$3.79 ₡1,790
88.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 ₡1,128
$2.04 ₡961
17.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₡919
$1.59 ₡751
22.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.23 ₡1,524
$3.05 ₡1,440
5.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.89 ₡2,780
$4.68 ₡2,210
25.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.57 ₡1,214
$2.05 ₡967
25.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 ₡1,364
$2.85 ₡1,347
1.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.14 ₡1,010
$2.23 ₡1,053
-4.04%
Eggs
$2.88 ₡1,358
$2.97 ₡1,403
-3.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.63 ₡4,076
$10.08 ₡4,761
-14.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.08 ₡6,179
$9.15 ₡4,322
42.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.94 ₡6,581
$13.75 ₡6,495
1.38%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 ₡2,150
$4.47 ₡2,109
1.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 ₡694
$1.46 ₡690
0.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 ₡2,058
$3.22 ₡1,518
35.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.67 ₡790
$3.46 ₡1,634
-51.73%
Potato (1kg)
$3.36 ₡1,589
$2.30 ₡1,084
46.09%
Onion (1kg)
$3.05 ₡1,442
$3.06 ₡1,443
-0.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.97 ₡458
$0.95 ₡449
2.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 ₡1,343
$2.94 ₡1,389
-3.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.98 ₡2,353
$5.03 ₡2,377
-0.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.71 ₡6,946
$12.92 ₡6,099
13.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₡1,039
$2.40 ₡1,132
-8.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,203
$2.95 ₡1,393
-13.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 ₡556
$1.86 ₡881
-36.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$55.5 ₡26.2K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ₡1,428
$1.86 ₡877
62.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 ₡851
$1.81 ₡853
-0.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 ₡3,817
$5.89 ₡2,781
37.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 ₡899
$1.42 ₡670
33.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K ₡18.0M
$35.7K ₡16.9M
6.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4K ₡15.3M
$32.9K ₡15.5M
-1.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 ₡83.1K
$93.9 ₡44.3K
87.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.89 ₡12.2K
$22.40 ₡10.6K
15.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.6 ₡28.6K
$53.4 ₡25.2K
13.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.6 ₡27.2K
$97.1 ₡45.9K
-40.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.16 ₡11.4K
$24.03 ₡11.3K
0.54%
Cinema Ticket
$9.83 ₡4,640
$6.90 ₡3,260
42.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$522 ₡246.5K
$529 ₡249.9K
-1.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K ₡6.0M
$8,792 ₡4.2M
44.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.6 ₡29.6K
$61.5 ₡29.0K
1.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.2 ₡24.7K
$23.51 ₡11.1K
122.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 ₡59.4K
$108 ₡51.1K
16.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 ₡51.5K
$106 ₡50.1K
2.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 ₡356.9K
$1,811 ₡855.0K
-58.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 ₡286.7K
$797 ₡376.5K
-23.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,497 ₡706.7K
$3,037 ₡1.4M
-50.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$968 ₡457.3K
$889 ₡419.8K
8.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,277 ₡2.5M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$317 ₡149.5K
$3,234 ₡1.5M
-90.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Coco
Tamarindo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$740 ₡349.6K
$906 ₡427.7K
-18.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.17
9
13.00%

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 Tamarindo: March 3, 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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