Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, Costa Rica and Playa del Coco

For one person, living costs are similar in San Rafael and in Playa del Coco: $1,718 and $1,748 a month, rent and utilities included.

83

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
83

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

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San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,718

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael 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 Rafael and in Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,718 per month in San Rafael vs $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

San Rafael $1,718
Playa del Coco $1,748

A couple spends around $2,741 per month in San Rafael vs $2,758 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

San Rafael $2,741
Playa del Coco $2,758

A family of three spends $3,765 per month in San Rafael vs $3,768 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

San Rafael $3,765
Playa del Coco $3,768

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

Both San Rafael and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – San Rafael by 27%, Playa del Coco by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.45 ₡5,597

$18.08 ₡8,131

-31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 ₡5,315

$11.74 ₡5,279

0.68%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,951

$4.26 ₡1,917

1.88%

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

$2.61 ₡1,174

$2.62 ₡1,179

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡866

$1.63 ₡732

18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,484

$3.60 ₡1,619

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ₡2,007

$6.13 ₡2,755

-27.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,039

$2.44 ₡1,096

-5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₡1,375

$2.83 ₡1,272

8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,074

$2.44 ₡1,095

-2.05%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.52 ₡1,584

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 ₡4,813

$10.88 ₡4,895

-1.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,772

$10.22 ₡4,596

3.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 ₡6,232

$14.18 ₡6,379

-2.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 ₡2,301

$5.05 ₡2,270

1.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.64 ₡736

-2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,197

$3.28 ₡1,476

49.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 ₡1,718

$3.50 ₡1,572

9.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,671

$3.03 ₡1,364

22.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,666

$3.23 ₡1,454

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.09 ₡491

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,439

$2.67 ₡1,200

19.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,696

$5.55 ₡2,494

8.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 ₡8,846

$16.77 ₡7,543

17.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₡1,291

$2.66 ₡1,195

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₡1,595

$2.65 ₡1,194

33.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡607

$1.35 ₡605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,107

$2.49 ₡1,121

-1.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡728

$1.61 ₡723

0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₡3,978

$8.84 ₡3,973

0.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.51 ₡680

3.31%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$33.8K ₡15.2M

0.26%

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

$42.2K ₡19.0M

$41.1K ₡18.5M

2.59%

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

$96.5 ₡43.4K

$94.3 ₡42.4K

2.29%

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

$35.72 ₡16.1K

$30.28 ₡13.6K

17.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.9K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ₡30.7K

$66.8 ₡30.0K

2.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ₡3,478

$7.80 ₡3,508

-0.90%

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

$985 ₡442.8K

$843 ₡379.3K

16.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 ₡32.5K

$72.6 ₡32.7K

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 ₡25.6K

$56.3 ₡25.3K

1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$129 ₡57.9K

-1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.6K

$131 ₡58.8K

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 ₡357.3K

$793 ₡356.6K

0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₡279.3K

$640 ₡287.8K

-2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 ₡849.2K

$1,908 ₡858.2K

-1.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 ₡571.8K

$1,257 ₡565.1K

1.18%

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 San Rafael: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$621 36.1%

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6% 3.1% $19

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$400 23.3%

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3% 6.9% $28

Eating Out

San Rafael

$231 13.4%

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9% 20.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$192 11.2%

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5% 4.3% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$175 10.2%

Playa del Coco

$175 10% 0% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$84 4.9%

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

San Rafael

$16 * 0.9%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 0.3% $0

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in San Rafael versus $793 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Rafael versus $59 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $373 – making Playa del Coco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

Same time as San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

💱 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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San Rafael Playa del Coco 180 km

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in San Rafael and $2,621 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 $795 in San Rafael and $793 in Playa del Coco. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% 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 Rafael and $59 in Playa del Coco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,718 in San Rafael and $1,748 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 $1,718 in San Rafael to $1,748 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.