Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upala and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Upala: $1,439 a month against $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Coco despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Upala
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Upala Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index

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Upala

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,439

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,439 per month in Upala vs $1,676 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Upala $1,439
Playa del Coco $1,676

A couple spends around $2,252 per month in Upala vs $2,700 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Upala $2,252
Playa del Coco $2,700

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Upala vs $3,724 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Upala $3,065
Playa del Coco $3,724

Upala is about 14% cheaper than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Upala and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Upala by 6%, Playa del Coco by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,587

$18.46 ₡8,332

-32.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$58.1 ₡26.2K

-7.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 ₡5,178

$13.36 ₡6,032

-14.15%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₡1,656

$4.35 ₡1,966

-15.63%

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

$1.75 ₡790

$2.65 ₡1,197

-33.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₡789

$1.60 ₡724

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,525

$3.58 ₡1,614

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡1,997

$6.15 ₡2,776

-28.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₡984

$2.30 ₡1,040

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ₡733

$2.79 ₡1,260

-41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,085

$2.44 ₡1,103

-1.64%

Eggs

$2.70 ₡1,217

$3.56 ₡1,606

-24.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 ₡1,498

$10.56 ₡4,766

-68.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 ₡3,046

$10.58 ₡4,778

-36.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 ₡3,974

$16.10 ₡7,267

-45.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₡783

$5.57 ₡2,517

-68.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ₡303

$1.77 ₡798

-62.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ₡1,306

$3.84 ₡1,732

-24.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,222

$3.58 ₡1,615

-24.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.43 ₡1,549

8.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,226

$3.07 ₡1,387

-11.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡507

$1.20 ₡543

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,168

$2.67 ₡1,207

-3.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 ₡2,601

$5.81 ₡2,624

-0.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.83 ₡3,988

$16.66 ₡7,521

-47.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,212

$2.51 ₡1,132

7.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,595

$2.65 ₡1,195

33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ₡654

$1.33 ₡600

9.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ₡1,069

$2.46 ₡1,110

-3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡697

$1.55 ₡701

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 ₡2,906

$9.30 ₡4,200

-30.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡643

$1.58 ₡714

-10.13%

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

$33.6K ₡15.2M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-2.06%

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

$41.4K ₡18.7M

$41.0K ₡18.5M

1.07%

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

$56.9 ₡25.7K

$93.6 ₡42.3K

-39.22%

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

$35.83 ₡16.2K

$29.79 ₡13.4K

20.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.24 ₡10.0K

$58.3 ₡26.3K

-61.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$71.1 ₡32.1K

-6.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ₡3,513

$7.18 ₡3,241

8.36%

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

$969 ₡437.5K

$756 ₡341.1K

28.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-0.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.78 ₡14.8K

$82.1 ₡37.1K

-60.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.09 ₡9,975

$55.6 ₡25.1K

-60.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.9K

$110 ₡49.6K

18.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.23 ₡15.0K

$116 ₡52.5K

-71.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₡387.5K

$882 ₡398.0K

-2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₡295.4K

$559 ₡252.2K

17.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 ₡797.5K

$1,979 ₡893.5K

-10.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 ₡550.0K

$1,193 ₡538.4K

2.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$334 ₡150.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$772 ₡348.4K

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 Upala: October 25, 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

Upala

$654 45.5%

Playa del Coco

$559 33.3% 14.6% $96

Groceries & Markets

Upala

$257 17.8%

Playa del Coco

$384 22.9% 49.6% $127

Eating Out

Upala

$217 15.1%

Playa del Coco

$287 17.1% 32.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upala

$115 8%

Playa del Coco

$182 10.8% 58% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Upala

$98 6.8%

Playa del Coco

$164 9.8% 66.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Upala

$82 5.7%

Playa del Coco

$85 5.1% 4.1% $3.4

Getting Around

Upala

$16 * 1.1%

Playa del Coco

$16 * 0.9% 2.1% $0.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $858 in Upala 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Upala versus $58 in Playa del Coco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $384 – making Upala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Upala

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

Same time as Upala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Upala Playa del Coco 83 km

From you

Upala
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

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

Playa del Coco costs about 16% more than Upala, 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 $2,159 per month in Upala 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 $858 in Upala 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 $54 in Upala 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 50% more in Playa del Coco, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,439 in Upala and $1,676 in Playa del Coco. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Coco has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,439 in Upala to $1,676 in Playa del Coco. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.