Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco and Playa del Coco

For one person, living costs are similar in San Francisco and in Playa del Coco: $1,668 and $1,676 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Francisco and in Playa del Coco

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Francisco and in Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,668 per month in San Francisco vs $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

San Francisco $1,668
Playa del Coco $1,676

A couple spends around $2,674 per month in San Francisco vs $2,700 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

San Francisco $2,674
Playa del Coco $2,700

A family of three spends $3,680 per month in San Francisco vs $3,724 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

San Francisco $3,680
Playa del Coco $3,724

San Francisco and Playa del Coco have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.03 ₡4,524

$18.46 ₡8,328

-45.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 ₡27.8K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 ₡5,024

$13.36 ₡6,030

-16.69%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,058

$4.35 ₡1,965

4.83%

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

$1.29 ₡584

$2.65 ₡1,197

-51.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₡774

$1.60 ₡724

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,520

$3.58 ₡1,613

-5.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,020

$6.15 ₡2,774

-27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ₡1,095

$2.30 ₡1,039

5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₡1,367

$2.79 ₡1,260

8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$2.44 ₡1,102

-2.05%

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,553

$3.56 ₡1,605

-3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,911

$10.56 ₡4,764

3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,691

$10.58 ₡4,776

-1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 ₡6,237

$16.10 ₡7,264

-14.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,353

$5.57 ₡2,516

-6.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡745

$1.77 ₡798

-6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,160

$3.84 ₡1,731

24.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 ₡1,744

$3.58 ₡1,614

8.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,770

$3.43 ₡1,548

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 ₡1,689

$3.07 ₡1,386

21.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.20 ₡542

-9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,401

$2.67 ₡1,206

16.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 ₡2,625

$5.81 ₡2,623

0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.69 ₡8,883

$16.66 ₡7,517

18.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,286

$2.51 ₡1,131

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₡1,600

$2.65 ₡1,194

33.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡620

$1.33 ₡600

3.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ₡29.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 ₡787

$2.46 ₡1,110

-29.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡730

$1.55 ₡701

4.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.88 ₡4,008

$9.30 ₡4,198

-4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ₡689

$1.58 ₡714

-3.16%

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

$34.0K ₡15.3M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-0.94%

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

$42.8K ₡19.3M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

4.56%

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

$76.4 ₡34.5K

$93.6 ₡42.2K

-18.42%

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

$32.60 ₡14.7K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

9.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.89 ₡22.1K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

-16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 ₡31.0K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-3.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ₡3,394

$7.18 ₡3,240

4.74%

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

$989 ₡446.2K

$756 ₡340.9K

30.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

0.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 ₡31.8K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-14.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 ₡25.7K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

2.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₡29.6K

$110 ₡49.6K

-40.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₡24.7K

$116 ₡52.5K

-53.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡360.4K

$882 ₡397.8K

-9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₡283.3K

$559 ₡252.1K

12.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₡859.4K

$1,979 ₡893.1K

-3.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₡580.8K

$1,193 ₡538.1K

7.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$895 ₡404.0K

$772 ₡348.3K

16.00%

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 San Francisco: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco

$628 37.6%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 11% $69

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco

$400 24%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 4% $16

Eating Out

San Francisco

$206 12.4%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 39.3% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco

$158 9.5%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 15.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco

$111 6.7%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 47% $52

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco

$84 5%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 1.9% $1.6

Getting Around

San Francisco

$81 4.9%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 80.9% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $799 in San Francisco versus $882 in Playa del Coco. 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 16% higher in San Francisco. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Francisco versus $58 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $384 – making Playa del Coco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

Same time as San Francisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,923

💱 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

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San Francisco Playa del Coco 190 km

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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

San Francisco vs Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,503 per month in San Francisco and $2,514 in Playa del Coco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $799 in San Francisco and $882 in Playa del Coco. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Playa del Coco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Francisco and $58 in Playa del Coco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,668 in San Francisco and $1,676 in Playa del Coco, 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 $1,668 in San Francisco to $1,676 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.