Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turrialba and Playa del Coco

For one person, living costs are similar in Turrialba and in Playa del Coco: $1,726 and $1,733 a month, rent and utilities included.

84

Cost of Living Index in Turrialba
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Turrialba Living Index
84

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

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Turrialba

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,726

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,726 per month in Turrialba vs $1,733 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Turrialba $1,726
Playa del Coco $1,733

A couple spends around $2,753 per month in Turrialba vs $2,750 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Turrialba $2,753
Playa del Coco $2,750

A family of three spends $3,779 per month in Turrialba vs $3,767 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Turrialba $3,779
Playa del Coco $3,767

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

Both Turrialba and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Turrialba by 27%, Playa del Coco by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 ₡5,370

$18.40 ₡8,254

-34.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$58.5 ₡26.3K

4.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 ₡5,283

$11.68 ₡5,238

0.86%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,946

$4.34 ₡1,945

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

$2.75 ₡1,233

$2.53 ₡1,133

8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡871

$1.62 ₡724

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,488

$3.57 ₡1,603

-7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,973

$5.96 ₡2,673

-26.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.38 ₡1,069

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₡1,372

$2.83 ₡1,269

8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,134

$2.50 ₡1,120

1.20%

Eggs

$3.60 ₡1,612

$3.53 ₡1,584

1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,726

$10.85 ₡4,867

-2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,630

$10.38 ₡4,657

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ₡6,352

$14.27 ₡6,399

-0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ₡2,273

$5.05 ₡2,265

0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.64 ₡737

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,124

$3.31 ₡1,482

43.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 ₡1,782

$3.51 ₡1,573

13.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,754

$3.04 ₡1,361

28.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,663

$3.06 ₡1,373

21.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡505

$1.11 ₡499

1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,431

$2.70 ₡1,210

18.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,724

$5.69 ₡2,552

6.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.24 ₡9,076

$16.50 ₡7,399

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,274

$2.63 ₡1,180

7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$2.73 ₡1,223

31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ₡574

$1.29 ₡580

-0.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,101

$2.38 ₡1,068

2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.58 ₡708

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₡3,948

$8.52 ₡3,822

3.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.51 ₡679

-0.66%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$22.4K ₡10.1M

-0.82%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$34.3K ₡15.4M

0.75%

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

$96.4 ₡43.2K

$95.2 ₡42.7K

1.30%

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

$35.27 ₡15.8K

$29.51 ₡13.2K

19.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.5K

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 ₡33.0K

$72.6 ₡32.5K

1.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 ₡3,527

$7.74 ₡3,471

1.68%

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

$993 ₡445.3K

$850 ₡381.0K

16.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

0.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.3K

$70.5 ₡31.6K

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.3K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$127 ₡56.9K

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$130 ₡58.1K

3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ₡362.3K

$812 ₡364.0K

-0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡280.7K

$618 ₡277.4K

1.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 ₡838.7K

$1,902 ₡853.0K

-1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₡577.2K

$1,247 ₡559.5K

3.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$332 ₡148.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 ₡339.1K

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 Turrialba: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Turrialba

$626 36.3%

Playa del Coco

$618 35.7% 1.2% $7.4

Groceries & Markets

Turrialba

$402 23.3%

Playa del Coco

$373 21.5% 7.1% $29

Eating Out

Turrialba

$227 13.2%

Playa del Coco

$281 16.2% 23.4% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turrialba

$191 11.1%

Playa del Coco

$185 10.7% 3.3% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Turrialba

$176 10.2%

Playa del Coco

$172 9.9% 2% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Turrialba

$89 5.2%

Playa del Coco

$88 5.1% 1.5% $1.3

Getting Around

Turrialba

$15 * 0.9%

Playa del Coco

$15 * 0.9% 0.2% $0

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $808 in Turrialba versus $812 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 $61.0 in Turrialba versus $59.0 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $373 – making Playa del Coco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Turrialba

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

Same time as Turrialba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,000

💱 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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Turrialba Playa del Coco 230 km

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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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,589 per month in Turrialba and $2,599 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 Turrialba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Playa del Coco – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Turrialba and $59.0 in Playa del Coco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Turrialba, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Playa del Coco at $1,733. In Turrialba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Coco it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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