Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Tibas

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,676 a month against $1,724 in Tibas, rent and utilities included – about $580 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tibas outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

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

Cost of Living Index in Tibas
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Tibas Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Tibas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Coco and in Tibas

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

A single person spends $1,676 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,724 in Tibas, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,676
Tibas $1,724

A couple spends around $2,700 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,646 in Tibas, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,700
Tibas $2,646

A family of three spends $3,724 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,567 in Tibas, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,724
Tibas $3,567

Playa del Coco is about 3% cheaper than Tibas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Coco and Tibas sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 23%, Tibas by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.46 ₡8,300

$12.21 ₡5,489

51.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.1K

$34.56 ₡15.5K

68.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.36 ₡6,009

$10.92 ₡4,911

22.34%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,958

$3.90 ₡1,753

11.54%

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

$2.65 ₡1,192

$2.37 ₡1,067

11.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₡721

$1.90 ₡856

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₡1,608

$2.80 ₡1,258

27.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₡2,765

$4.47 ₡2,012

37.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 ₡1,036

$2.39 ₡1,074

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 ₡1,255

$3.08 ₡1,385

-9.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,099

$2.52 ₡1,134

-3.17%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,600

$3.57 ₡1,608

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₡4,747

$10.67 ₡4,800

-1.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,759

$10.60 ₡4,767

-0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 ₡7,239

$14.08 ₡6,332

14.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 ₡2,507

$4.98 ₡2,238

11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₡795

$1.57 ₡706

12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,725

$4.69 ₡2,109

-18.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 ₡1,609

$3.85 ₡1,733

-7.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,543

$3.74 ₡1,682

-8.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,381

$3.62 ₡1,627

-15.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₡541

$1.08 ₡484

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,202

$3.20 ₡1,438

-16.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 ₡2,614

$6.07 ₡2,729

-4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.66 ₡7,492

$20.22 ₡9,091

-17.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.89 ₡1,298

-13.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,190

$3.72 ₡1,672

-28.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡598

$1.30 ₡583

2.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,106

$2.39 ₡1,074

2.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.61 ₡722

-3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 ₡4,184

$8.63 ₡3,882

7.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡712

$1.57 ₡707

0.64%

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

$34.3K ₡15.4M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-0.78%

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

$41.0K ₡18.4M

$41.5K ₡18.7M

-1.24%

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

$93.6 ₡42.1K

$95.9 ₡43.1K

-2.41%

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

$29.79 ₡13.4K

$35.33 ₡15.9K

-15.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 ₡26.2K

$59.0 ₡26.5K

-1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ₡32.0K

$68.6 ₡30.9K

3.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₡3,229

$7.88 ₡3,542

-8.88%

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

$756 ₡339.8K

$972 ₡437.1K

-22.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.6M

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-2.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 ₡36.9K

$70.8 ₡31.8K

16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.0K

$56.3 ₡25.3K

-1.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ₡49.5K

$127 ₡57.0K

-13.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₡52.3K

$131 ₡59.1K

-11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 ₡396.4K

$814 ₡366.2K

8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 ₡251.2K

$641 ₡288.3K

-12.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 ₡890.1K

$1,886 ₡848.2K

4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 ₡536.3K

$1,240 ₡557.5K

-3.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡347.1K

$983 ₡442.0K

-21.48%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Tibas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3%

Tibas

$641 37.2% 14.8% $83

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9%

Tibas

$402 23.3% 4.7% $18

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1%

Tibas

$217 12.6% 24.4% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8%

Tibas

$190 11% 4.7% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8%

Tibas

$173 10.1% 5.8% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1%

Tibas

$84 4.9% 1.2% $1.1

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Tibas

$16 * 0.9% 0.5% $0.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $882 in Playa del Coco versus $814 in Tibas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Tibas. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Playa del Coco versus $35 in Tibas. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Playa del Coco vs $402 in Tibas – so Playa del Coco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Tibas

🕒 Local time

20:57 8:57 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,842

💱 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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Between locations

Playa del Coco Tibas 190 km

From you

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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 Tibas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tibas costs about 3% more than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,514 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,586 in Tibas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $882 in Playa del Coco and $814 in Tibas. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Playa del Coco and $35 in Tibas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Tibas, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,676 in Playa del Coco and $1,724 in Tibas, 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 $1,676 in Playa del Coco to $1,724 in Tibas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Coco. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tibas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.