Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and San Ramon

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ramon: $1,787 a month against $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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 San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index

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Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tamarindo and in San Ramon

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 San Ramon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Tamarindo vs $1,787 in San Ramon, rent included.

Tamarindo $2,127
San Ramon $1,787

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in Tamarindo vs $2,770 in San Ramon, rent included.

Tamarindo $3,081
San Ramon $2,770

A family of three spends $4,035 per month in Tamarindo vs $3,752 in San Ramon, rent included.

Tamarindo $4,035
San Ramon $3,752

Tamarindo costs about 19% more than San Ramon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tamarindo and San Ramon sit above the global median – Tamarindo by 58%, San Ramon by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,463

$12.41 ₡5,567

-1.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$52.0 ₡23.3K

19.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 ₡5,324

$12.35 ₡5,539

-3.89%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,948

$4.79 ₡2,147

-9.39%

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

$2.65 ₡1,188

$2.60 ₡1,166

1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡856

$2.16 ₡969

-11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,465

$2.88 ₡1,291

13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₡2,043

$4.18 ₡1,875

9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$2.38 ₡1,069

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$3.05 ₡1,368

2.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,088

$2.49 ₡1,119

-2.81%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,556

$5.11 ₡2,293

-32.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ₡4,721

$10.79 ₡4,840

-2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,716

$10.43 ₡4,679

0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 ₡6,354

$14.17 ₡6,353

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,336

$5.13 ₡2,299

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.50 ₡675

6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 ₡1,588

$3.50 ₡1,568

1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,747

$3.31 ₡1,486

17.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 ₡1,141

$2.93 ₡1,312

-12.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,665

$3.10 ₡1,391

19.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡487

$1.25 ₡561

-12.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,376

$2.66 ₡1,192

15.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$5.61 ₡2,516

-7.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 ₡5,912

$16.33 ₡7,322

-19.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.59 ₡1,161

7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,385

$2.69 ₡1,208

14.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ₡929

$1.35 ₡606

53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 ₡38.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,065

$2.49 ₡1,115

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡729

$1.57 ₡705

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ₡2,978

$8.61 ₡3,860

-22.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡675

$1.57 ₡702

-4.46%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$22.4K ₡10.1M

-0.23%

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

$34.7K ₡15.6M

$35.3K ₡15.8M

-1.57%

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

$93.5 ₡41.9K

$142 ₡63.6K

-34.07%

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

$30.01 ₡13.5K

$44.25 ₡19.8K

-32.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.5K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ₡45.3K

$83.7 ₡37.6K

20.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 ₡11.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,543

$7.46 ₡3,346

5.90%

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

$575 ₡257.7K

$834 ₡374.0K

-31.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,081 ₡4.1M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-47.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₡32.1K

$71.8 ₡32.2K

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ₡11.8K

$56.1 ₡25.1K

-53.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡53.7K

$127 ₡57.1K

-6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

$144 ₡64.6K

-8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 ₡861.5K

$809 ₡362.9K

137.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡430.6K

$637 ₡285.9K

50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 ₡1.2M

$1,863 ₡835.6K

46.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 ₡614.9K

$1,239 ₡555.9K

10.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,341 ₡2.4M

$1,175 ₡527.2K

354.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,241 ₡1.5M

$1,150 ₡515.6K

181.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ₡425.7K

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 San Ramon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tamarindo

$960 45.1%

San Ramon

$637 35.7% 33.6% $323

Groceries & Markets

Tamarindo

$378 17.8%

San Ramon

$380 21.3% 0.6% $2.3

Eating Out

Tamarindo

$229 10.8%

San Ramon

$236 13.2% 2.9% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamarindo

$183 8.6%

San Ramon

$240 13.4% 31.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Tamarindo

$157 7.4%

San Ramon

$180 10.1% 14.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Tamarindo

$117 5.5%

San Ramon

$99 5.5% 15.6% $18

Getting Around

Tamarindo

$104 4.9%

San Ramon

$16 * 0.9% 84.9% $88

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 $809 in San Ramon. 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 $62.0 in Tamarindo versus $52.0 in San Ramon. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Tamarindo vs $380 in San Ramon – so Tamarindo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

Same time as Tamarindo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

10,000

💱 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 San Ramon 150 km

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Tamarindo
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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

Tamarindo vs San Ramon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,127 in Tamarindo, $1,787 in San Ramon – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Tamarindo and $2,680 in San Ramon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Ramon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,127 in Tamarindo and $1,787 in San Ramon. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Tamarindo and $834 in San Ramon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in San Ramon, where all-in costs run around $1,787, than in Tamarindo at $2,127. In San Ramon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarindo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tamarindo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,787 in San Ramon to $2,127 in Tamarindo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 San Ramon. 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.