Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Upala

For one person, living is cheaper in Upala: $1,431 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Upala
Learn more

Upala Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Upala

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,748 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,431 in Upala, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,748
Upala $1,431

A couple spends around $2,758 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,262 in Upala, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,758
Upala $2,262

A family of three spends $3,768 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,092 in Upala, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,768
Upala $3,092

Playa del Coco costs about 22% more than Upala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Coco and Upala sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 29%, Upala by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 ₡8,131

$12.11 ₡5,444

49.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$54.7 ₡24.6K

8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 ₡5,279

$11.83 ₡5,319

-0.76%

Cappuccino

$4.26 ₡1,917

$3.65 ₡1,641

16.71%

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

$2.62 ₡1,179

$1.81 ₡813

44.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.74 ₡784

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 ₡1,619

$3.34 ₡1,502

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₡2,755

$4.46 ₡2,005

37.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$2.15 ₡967

13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 ₡1,272

$1.70 ₡762

66.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,095

$2.48 ₡1,114

-1.61%

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,584

$2.67 ₡1,199

31.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,895

$3.33 ₡1,496

226.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,596

$6.76 ₡3,041

51.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 ₡6,379

$8.75 ₡3,934

62.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 ₡2,270

$1.81 ₡815

179.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡736

$0.65 ₡291

152.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 ₡1,476

$2.87 ₡1,292

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$2.71 ₡1,221

29.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ₡1,364

$3.83 ₡1,724

-20.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,454

$2.72 ₡1,222

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.12 ₡505

-2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,200

$2.69 ₡1,210

-0.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 ₡2,494

$5.86 ₡2,637

-5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 ₡7,543

$8.89 ₡3,999

88.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$2.57 ₡1,156

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₡1,194

$3.70 ₡1,662

-28.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.30 ₡585

3.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,121

$2.42 ₡1,087

2.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡723

$1.63 ₡733

-1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ₡3,973

$6.64 ₡2,984

33.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.36 ₡612

11.03%

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

$33.8K ₡15.2M

$34.1K ₡15.4M

-0.88%

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

$41.1K ₡18.5M

$42.2K ₡19.0M

-2.50%

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

$94.3 ₡42.4K

$56.5 ₡25.4K

66.84%

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

$30.28 ₡13.6K

$36.32 ₡16.3K

-16.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.6K

$21.90 ₡9,847

169.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$69.0 ₡31.0K

-3.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,508

$7.67 ₡3,447

1.69%

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

$843 ₡379.3K

$981 ₡441.3K

-14.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-0.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$33.10 ₡14.9K

119.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.3K

$22.18 ₡9,975

153.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$32.58 ₡14.6K

301.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 ₡356.6K

$796 ₡357.8K

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡287.8K

$644 ₡289.4K

-0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 ₡858.2K

$1,869 ₡840.6K

2.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡565.1K

$1,238 ₡556.8K

1.48%

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 Upala: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6%

Upala

$644 45% 0.6% $3.6

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3%

Upala

$259 18.1% 30.5% $114

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9%

Upala

$216 15.1% 22.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5%

Upala

$115 8% 37.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$175 10%

Upala

$97 6.8% 44.3% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7%

Upala

$84 5.9% 2.3% $1.9

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9%

Upala

$16 * 1.1% 0.8% $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 $793 in Playa del Coco versus $796 in Upala. 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 $55 in Upala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $259 – making Upala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Upala

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

💱 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 Upala 83 km

From you

Playa del Coco
Upala

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 Upala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco costs about 22% more than Upala, 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 $2,621 per month in Playa del Coco and $2,146 in Upala. 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 $796 in Upala. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Playa del Coco and $55 in Upala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Playa del Coco, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,748 in Playa del Coco and $1,431 in Upala. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Coco has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,431 in Upala to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.