Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Teresa and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,530 a month against $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,530

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,530 per month in Santa Teresa vs $1,748 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Santa Teresa $1,530
Playa del Coco $1,748

A couple spends around $2,295 per month in Santa Teresa vs $2,758 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Santa Teresa $2,295
Playa del Coco $2,758

A family of three spends $3,061 per month in Santa Teresa vs $3,768 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Santa Teresa $3,061
Playa del Coco $3,768

Santa Teresa is about 12% cheaper than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Teresa and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Santa Teresa by 13%, Playa del Coco by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 ₡4,459

$18.08 ₡8,145

-45.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.31 ₡19.1K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-28.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 ₡4,374

$11.74 ₡5,288

-17.29%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₡1,667

$4.26 ₡1,920

-13.15%

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

$2.04 ₡917

$2.62 ₡1,181

-22.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₡735

$1.63 ₡734

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 ₡1,366

$3.60 ₡1,621

-15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,048

$6.13 ₡2,759

-25.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡925

$2.44 ₡1,098

-15.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 ₡1,270

$2.83 ₡1,274

-0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ₡972

$2.44 ₡1,097

-11.48%

Eggs

$2.98 ₡1,344

$3.52 ₡1,587

-15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 ₡4,509

$10.88 ₡4,903

-8.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 ₡4,042

$10.22 ₡4,604

-12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 ₡6,127

$14.18 ₡6,389

-4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ₡2,052

$5.05 ₡2,274

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡651

$1.64 ₡737

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 ₡1,856

$3.28 ₡1,478

25.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,385

$3.50 ₡1,575

-12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.03 ₡1,367

11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ₡1,161

$3.23 ₡1,457

-20.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡455

$1.09 ₡492

-7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,282

$2.67 ₡1,202

6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,292

$5.55 ₡2,499

-8.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 ₡6,211

$16.77 ₡7,555

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,063

$2.66 ₡1,197

-11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ₡1,179

$2.65 ₡1,196

-1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₡433

$1.35 ₡606

-28.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₡830

$2.49 ₡1,123

-26.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 ₡826

$1.61 ₡724

13.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 ₡3,580

$8.84 ₡3,980

-10.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡659

$1.51 ₡681

-3.31%

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

$38.4K ₡17.3M

$33.8K ₡15.2M

13.42%

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

$32.7K ₡14.7M

$41.1K ₡18.5M

-20.46%

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

$84.9 ₡38.2K

$94.3 ₡42.5K

-10.00%

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

$26.16 ₡11.8K

$30.28 ₡13.6K

-13.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 ₡22.7K

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-14.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 ₡22.6K

$66.8 ₡30.1K

-25.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.66 ₡10.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ₡4,004

$7.80 ₡3,514

13.97%

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

$573 ₡257.9K

$843 ₡379.9K

-32.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ₡5.6M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-26.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ₡27.8K

$72.6 ₡32.7K

-14.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 ₡23.0K

$56.3 ₡25.4K

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.4K

$129 ₡58.0K

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡48.0K

$131 ₡58.9K

-18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 ₡318.2K

$793 ₡357.2K

-10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 ₡266.6K

$640 ₡288.3K

-7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 ₡657.9K

$1,908 ₡859.6K

-23.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 ₡430.0K

$1,257 ₡566.0K

-24.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$329 ₡148.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡341.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

8.62

17.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Santa Teresa: 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 Teresa

$592 38.7%

Playa del Coco

$640 36.6% 8.1% $48

Groceries & Markets

Santa Teresa

$346 22.6%

Playa del Coco

$373 21.3% 7.6% $26

Eating Out

Santa Teresa

$192 12.5%

Playa del Coco

$278 15.9% 45.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Teresa

$161 10.6%

Playa del Coco

$184 10.5% 13.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Teresa

$156 10.2%

Playa del Coco

$175 10% 11.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4%

Playa del Coco

$82 4.7% 21.5% $15

Getting Around

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 7.1% $1.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $706 in Santa Teresa 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 $42 in Santa Teresa versus $59 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $373 – making Santa Teresa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

Same time as Santa Teresa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,099

💱 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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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 Teresa vs Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Coco costs about 14% more than Santa Teresa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,295 per month in Santa Teresa and $2,621 in Playa del Coco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Teresa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $706 there versus $793 in Playa del Coco.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Santa Teresa and $59 in Playa del Coco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Playa del Coco, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,530 in Santa Teresa and $1,748 in Playa del Coco. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Teresa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.