Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Costa Rica and Playa del Coco

For one person, living costs are similar in Santa Cruz and in Playa del Coco: $1,711 and $1,748 a month, rent and utilities included.

82

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
83

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

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Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,711

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,711 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,711
Playa del Coco $1,748

A couple spends around $2,714 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,758 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Santa Cruz $2,714
Playa del Coco $2,758

A family of three spends $3,718 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,768 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Santa Cruz $3,718
Playa del Coco $3,768

Santa Cruz and Playa del Coco have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.17 ₡5,475

$18.08 ₡8,131

-32.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 ₡27.8K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

4.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 ₡4,962

$11.74 ₡5,279

-5.96%

Cappuccino

$4.49 ₡2,018

$4.26 ₡1,917

5.40%

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

$2.30 ₡1,034

$2.62 ₡1,179

-12.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡839

$1.63 ₡732

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,522

$3.60 ₡1,619

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 ₡2,039

$6.13 ₡2,755

-26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 ₡1,079

$2.44 ₡1,096

-1.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₡1,416

$2.83 ₡1,272

11.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,085

$2.44 ₡1,095

-1.23%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,616

$3.52 ₡1,584

1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 ₡4,785

$10.88 ₡4,895

-2.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₡4,699

$10.22 ₡4,596

2.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 ₡6,251

$14.18 ₡6,379

-1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.00 ₡2,249

$5.05 ₡2,270

-0.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₡500

$1.64 ₡736

-32.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 ₡2,126

$3.28 ₡1,476

44.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,774

$3.50 ₡1,572

12.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,736

$3.03 ₡1,364

27.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,617

$3.23 ₡1,454

11.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.09 ₡491

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 ₡1,402

$2.67 ₡1,200

16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,634

$5.55 ₡2,494

5.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.93 ₡8,962

$16.77 ₡7,543

18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,242

$2.66 ₡1,195

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,586

$2.65 ₡1,194

33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡583

$1.35 ₡605

-3.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ₡1,091

$2.49 ₡1,121

-2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.61 ₡723

-3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 ₡3,808

$8.84 ₡3,973

-4.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡706

$1.51 ₡680

3.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.8K ₡15.2M

1.99%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$41.1K ₡18.5M

0.45%

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

$95.7 ₡43.0K

$94.3 ₡42.4K

1.47%

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

$35.08 ₡15.8K

$30.28 ₡13.6K

15.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 ₡27.2K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 ₡29.9K

$66.8 ₡30.0K

-0.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₡3,004

$7.80 ₡3,508

-14.36%

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

$997 ₡448.3K

$843 ₡379.3K

18.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

1.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.7K

$72.6 ₡32.7K

-2.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 ₡25.5K

$56.3 ₡25.3K

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.4K

$129 ₡57.9K

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 ₡362.8K

$793 ₡356.6K

1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡281.6K

$640 ₡287.8K

-2.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 ₡858.3K

$1,908 ₡858.2K

0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ₡563.0K

$1,257 ₡565.1K

-0.37%

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 Santa Cruz: 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

Santa Cruz

$626 36.6%

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6% 2.2% $14

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$397 23.2%

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3% 6.2% $25

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$227 13.3%

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9% 22.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$191 11.2%

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5% 3.9% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$174 10.2%

Playa del Coco

$175 10% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$80 4.7%

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7% 3.2% $2.5

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$15 * 0.9%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 3.4% $0.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $807 in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz versus $59 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $373 – making Playa del Coco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

Same time as Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,665

💱 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

Santa Cruz Playa del Coco 35 km

From you

Santa Cruz
Playa del Coco

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

Santa Cruz vs Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,567 per month in Santa Cruz 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 $807 in Santa Cruz 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 6% cheaper in Playa del Coco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Santa Cruz 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 $1,711 in Santa Cruz and $1,748 in Playa del Coco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.