Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,756 a month against $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
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Tamarindo Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Tamarindo vs $1,756 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Tamarindo $2,127
Playa del Coco $1,756

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in Tamarindo vs $2,784 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Tamarindo $3,081
Playa del Coco $2,784

A family of three spends $4,035 per month in Tamarindo vs $3,812 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Tamarindo $4,035
Playa del Coco $3,812

Tamarindo costs about 21% more than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tamarindo and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Tamarindo by 58%, Playa del Coco by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,463

$18.30 ₡8,209

-33.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$58.1 ₡26.0K

7.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 ₡5,324

$10.57 ₡4,740

12.30%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,948

$4.16 ₡1,866

4.33%

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

$2.65 ₡1,188

$2.60 ₡1,167

1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡856

$1.62 ₡726

17.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,465

$3.53 ₡1,585

-7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₡2,043

$5.98 ₡2,682

-23.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$2.38 ₡1,067

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$2.93 ₡1,312

6.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,088

$2.53 ₡1,136

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,556

$3.56 ₡1,598

-2.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ₡4,721

$10.69 ₡4,795

-1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,716

$10.23 ₡4,588

2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 ₡6,354

$15.13 ₡6,783

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,336

$5.33 ₡2,392

-2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.45 ₡650

10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 ₡1,588

$3.85 ₡1,726

-8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,747

$3.32 ₡1,489

17.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 ₡1,141

$3.31 ₡1,486

-22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,665

$3.19 ₡1,430

16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡487

$1.17 ₡524

-6.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,376

$2.99 ₡1,341

2.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$5.87 ₡2,631

-11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 ₡5,912

$16.69 ₡7,484

-21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.64 ₡1,182

5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,385

$2.66 ₡1,192

16.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ₡929

$1.33 ₡596

55.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 ₡38.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,065

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡729

$1.38 ₡617

18.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ₡2,978

$9.15 ₡4,105

-27.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡675

$1.49 ₡668

0.67%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$23.4K ₡10.5M

-4.30%

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

$34.7K ₡15.6M

$33.3K ₡14.9M

4.28%

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

$93.5 ₡41.9K

$94.4 ₡42.3K

-0.89%

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

$30.01 ₡13.5K

$30.20 ₡13.5K

-0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.5K

$58.4 ₡26.2K

1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ₡45.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

26.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 ₡11.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,543

$7.51 ₡3,366

5.19%

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

$575 ₡257.7K

$726 ₡325.8K

-20.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,081 ₡4.1M

$17.5K ₡7.8M

-47.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₡32.1K

$77.3 ₡34.6K

-7.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ₡11.8K

$54.4 ₡24.4K

-51.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡53.7K

$143 ₡64.3K

-16.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

$124 ₡55.7K

5.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 ₡861.5K

$737 ₡330.5K

160.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡430.6K

$628 ₡281.5K

52.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 ₡1.2M

$1,886 ₡845.7K

45.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 ₡614.9K

$1,258 ₡564.4K

8.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,341 ₡2.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,241 ₡1.5M

$330 ₡148.2K

880.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ₡425.7K

$757 ₡339.3K

25.47%

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 Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tamarindo

$960 45.1%

Playa del Coco

$628 35.7% 34.6% $332

Groceries & Markets

Tamarindo

$378 17.8%

Playa del Coco

$382 21.8% 1.2% $4.5

Eating Out

Tamarindo

$229 10.8%

Playa del Coco

$275 15.6% 20% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamarindo

$183 8.6%

Playa del Coco

$183 10.4% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Tamarindo

$157 7.4%

Playa del Coco

$180 10.2% 14.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Tamarindo

$117 5.5%

Playa del Coco

$95 5.4% 19% $22

Getting Around

Tamarindo

$104 4.9%

Playa del Coco

$15 * 0.8% 86% $90

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,921 in Tamarindo versus $737 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 25% higher in Tamarindo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Tamarindo versus $58.0 in Playa del Coco. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Tamarindo vs $382 in Playa del Coco – so Tamarindo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

Same time as Tamarindo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Tamarindo Playa del Coco 33 km

From you

Tamarindo
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

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

Tamarindo costs about 21% more than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Tamarindo and $2,634 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 Playa del Coco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Tamarindo and $58.0 in Playa del Coco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Tamarindo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Coco, where all-in costs run around $1,756, than in Tamarindo at $2,127. In Playa del Coco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarindo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Coco costs $1,756 versus $2,127 in Tamarindo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Coco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tamarindo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.