Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tibas and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,676 a month against $1,724 in Tibas, rent and utilities included – about $580 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tibas outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

82

Cost of Living Index in Tibas
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Tibas Living Index
84

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

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Tibas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,724

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,724 per month in Tibas vs $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Tibas $1,724
Playa del Coco $1,676

A couple spends around $2,646 per month in Tibas vs $2,700 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Tibas $2,646
Playa del Coco $2,700

A family of three spends $3,567 per month in Tibas vs $3,724 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Tibas $3,567
Playa del Coco $3,724

Tibas costs about 3% more than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tibas and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Tibas by 27%, Playa del Coco by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.21 ₡5,510

$18.46 ₡8,332

-33.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 ₡15.6K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

-40.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 ₡4,930

$13.36 ₡6,032

-18.26%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₡1,760

$4.35 ₡1,966

-10.34%

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

$2.37 ₡1,071

$2.65 ₡1,197

-10.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡859

$1.60 ₡724

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 ₡1,263

$3.58 ₡1,614

-21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,020

$6.15 ₡2,776

-27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$2.30 ₡1,040

3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,391

$2.79 ₡1,260

10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 ₡1,139

$2.44 ₡1,103

3.28%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,614

$3.56 ₡1,606

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 ₡4,819

$10.56 ₡4,766

1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 ₡4,785

$10.58 ₡4,778

0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 ₡6,357

$16.10 ₡7,267

-12.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 ₡2,247

$5.57 ₡2,517

-10.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.77 ₡798

-11.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,117

$3.84 ₡1,732

22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,740

$3.58 ₡1,615

7.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 ₡1,689

$3.43 ₡1,549

9.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 ₡1,633

$3.07 ₡1,387

17.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.20 ₡543

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,444

$2.67 ₡1,207

19.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,739

$5.81 ₡2,624

4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.22 ₡9,127

$16.66 ₡7,521

21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,303

$2.51 ₡1,132

15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₡1,678

$2.65 ₡1,195

40.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡586

$1.33 ₡600

-2.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$2.46 ₡1,110

-2.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.55 ₡701

3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 ₡3,898

$9.30 ₡4,200

-7.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡710

$1.58 ₡714

-0.63%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

0.79%

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

$41.5K ₡18.7M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

1.25%

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

$95.9 ₡43.3K

$93.6 ₡42.3K

2.47%

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

$35.33 ₡15.9K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

18.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 ₡26.6K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 ₡31.0K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-3.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ₡3,556

$7.18 ₡3,241

9.75%

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

$972 ₡438.8K

$756 ₡341.1K

28.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.9M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

2.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡31.9K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-13.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.4K

$55.6 ₡25.1K

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.2K

$110 ₡49.6K

15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.3K

$116 ₡52.5K

13.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 ₡367.6K

$882 ₡398.0K

-7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡289.5K

$559 ₡252.2K

14.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 ₡851.5K

$1,979 ₡893.5K

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₡559.6K

$1,193 ₡538.4K

3.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$983 ₡443.8K

$772 ₡348.4K

27.36%

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 Tibas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tibas

$641 37.2%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 12.9% $83

Groceries & Markets

Tibas

$402 23.3%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 4.5% $18

Eating Out

Tibas

$217 12.6%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 32.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tibas

$190 11%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 4.5% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Tibas

$173 10.1%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 5.5% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Tibas

$84 4.9%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 1.3% $1.1

Getting Around

Tibas

$16 * 0.9%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 0.4% $0.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $814 in Tibas versus $882 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 27% higher in Tibas. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Tibas versus $58 in Playa del Coco. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Tibas vs $384 in Playa del Coco – so Playa del Coco wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tibas

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

Same time as Tibas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,842

💱 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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Tibas Playa del Coco 190 km

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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

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

Tibas costs about 3% more than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,586 per month in Tibas and $2,514 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 $814 in Tibas and $882 in Playa del Coco. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Tibas and $58 in Playa del Coco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Tibas, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,724 in Tibas and $1,676 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 $1,676 in Playa del Coco to $1,724 in Tibas. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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