Is Costa Rica Costly? Precise Prices To Go to In 2024

Costa Rica is an exquisite nation to go to, particularly when you’re within the temper for fairly seashores and jungle adventures. It has turn out to be the place to go to in Latin America over the previous 10 years, and for good purpose. In fact, with that reputation comes a rise in costs. Costa Rica has turn out to be fairly expensive in comparison with its neighboring international locations, however it’s nonetheless low-cost in comparison with fashionable vacationer locations in North America and even Western Europe. 

After visiting the nation a number of occasions and touring by numerous completely different means, we predict now we have a good suggestion of the particular prices of journey in Costa Rica. Heck, we even have good buddies who moved down there and are loving it, in addition to different buddies who owned and ran a resort in Costa Rica for years. That is first-hand info.

So, how a lot cash do it’s essential to journey to Costa Rica, and is finances journey within the nation even doable? Let’s dive into the finances breakdown for a Costa Rica vacation. 

Is It Costly To Go to Costa Rica? 

Costa Rica is type of an costly nation to go to. It’s costlier than different Central American international locations, however it’s nonetheless usually inexpensive in comparison with america and Western Europe. When you’re coming from a rustic with a excessive value of residing, I doubt you’ll discover Costa Rica very costly. 

Additionally, there are tons of the way it can save you cash whereas touring Costa Rica. Skip the guided excursions and discover as a lot as you possibly can by yourself, and attempt to keep away from eating places that cater particularly to English-speaking vacationers. Most excursions and eating places that purpose to draw as many English-speaking guests as doable have particular costs for vacationers and cost them 3 times as a lot as they do locals. If there’s a minimum of one fluent Spanish speaker in your group, it needs to be straightforward to keep away from the inflated vacationer costs when visiting Costa Rica. 

On high of that, it will likely be considerably cheaper to go to the nation within the low season. Plan a visit between Could and November, and it can save you some huge cash on flights, lodging, actions, and even meals. So long as you don’t thoughts that it’s the wet season (however nonetheless heat), you possibly can nonetheless have a ton of enjoyable in Costa Rica. 

Frequent Questions About Visiting Costa Rica

Value Of Lodging 

Costa Rica is an efficient vacation spot for anybody as a result of the lodging choices vary from $20 dorm beds to all-inclusive resorts which might be $1,000+ per evening. Whether or not you wish to journey low-cost or reside it up, you will see loads of choices in your worth vary. 

Price range vacationers are most probably to remain at non-public flats, hostels, or low-cost accommodations. The common Costa Rican hostel fees $20 for a dormitory mattress, so the weekly finances for lodging in Costa Rica will be as little as $120. I’ll say that when you’re touring with one other particular person, renting an condominium might be the most effective budget-friendly possibility. 

For about $350-400 per week, you possibly can lease a spacious one-bedroom condominium for 2, the place you’ll have a personal toilet and kitchen. Since you’ll have entry to a kitchen,  you possibly can prepare dinner most of your meals and save fairly a bit of cash on meals. And that’s on a finances of $170-200 per particular person for a complete week.  

A mid-range finances in Costa Rica means you possibly can keep in just about each kind of lodging within the nation, barring a elaborate beachfront resort with all-inclusive service. With a finances of $70-100 per evening, you possibly can afford the majority of the lodging within the nation. 

This implausible five-star resort is simply $150 per evening for 2,  and this beautiful cabin within the mountains is even cheaper. That’s a finances of $400-700 per particular person for a complete week. 

Luxurious vacationers would possibly select to remain in an all-inclusive resort. They’re plentiful in Costa Rica, however their value varies fairly a bit relying on the situation. An all-inclusive resort with direct seashore entry will typically run you $400-500 per evening per particular person. However select a resort with out direct seashore entry, and also you’ll pay almost half that quantity for a similar degree of service. Generally, anticipate five-star accommodations and all-inclusive resorts to value $300-500 per evening, per particular person, so about $1,800-3,000 per week. 

How a lot you spend on the resort relies upon fairly a bit on the place precisely you’re staying in Costa Rica. The Caribbean coast is extra inexpensive than the Pacific coast, largely as a result of the cities there aren’t fairly as fashionable with vacationers. 

When you’re simply in search of a spot the place you possibly can have a relaxed trip, Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast is an equally good possibility. There are many accommodations and resorts the place you possibly can take pleasure in lounging on the seashore and sipping cocktails, and also you’ll be saving cash in comparison with the resorts on the opposite aspect of the nation. 

One other factor to remember is that when is simply as necessary as the place. Journey to Costa Rica in Could or June, and also you’ll get the most effective resort offers. It’s the start of the moist season, so the vacationer crowds are minimal, however the climate remains to be dry sufficient. Lodges are sometimes as much as 50% cheaper within the low season.  

Value of Transportation

When you’re not pressed for time and like to save cash, I say keep away from the vacationer shuttles in any respect prices and persist with good outdated public transportation. Positive, they’re a bit quicker than the native buses, however they’re additionally considerably costlier. A vacationer shuttle from Monteverde to San Jose is roughly $50-70, whereas the general public bus is simply $7. The shuttle is just an hour faster, so it’s usually not value it to spring for this mode of transport, particularly when you’re attempting to go to Costa Rica on a finances.  

For shorter journeys, Uber is most popular to taxis. Native taxi drivers are generally sketchy and would possibly attempt to rip you off; Uber is way safer as you conform to a worth beforehand. Uber can be a very good possibility for transfers between two cities which might be comparatively shut to 1 one other, as it may be considerably quicker than the bus however not extraordinarily costly. 

So, what must you finances for transportation? 

It actually depends upon your journey fashion. When you don’t plan to spend an excessive amount of time outdoors your resort, then you definately simply must finances for the switch to and from the airport. 

A tough day by day finances for Costa Rica can be $15 for finances vacationers, $40 for mid-range vacationers, and round $80-100 for luxurious vacationers. And that’s since you don’t actually need to go someplace far on daily basis of your keep; take in the future to stroll across the metropolis, or spend a day enjoyable on the seashore. 

Additionally, when you plan to go on guided excursions to nationwide parks, break up the price of the exercise between the finances for leisure and transportation. When you can arrange the tour by yourself, it will likely be quite a bit cheaper, however it’s comprehensible when you want to have a information with you out of the country. 

The cities and cities in Costa Rica are usually walkable, so that you don’t must finances a lot to discover the vacationer points of interest. When you keep in downtown San Jose, you’ll have the ability to stroll to each main attraction within the metropolis. I simply wouldn’t suggest strolling alone after darkish, as a result of some areas of town generally is a bit sketchy within the night. 

Automotive Rental In Costa Rica

Renting a automobile is usually not a finances journey tip, however it might prevent fairly a bit of cash in Costa Rica. When you’re planning to go to the nationwide parks and journey to extra secluded locations, automobile rental is by far the most affordable possibility for getting across the nation. 

Automotive rental is $55-60 per day, together with fuel and insurance coverage. That’s cheaper than the vacationer shuttle per particular person, and when you’re touring with a couple of different particular person, it’s a no brainer. Having a automobile in Costa Rica additionally provides you the final word freedom to discover the nation and means that you can skip guided excursions as you don’t want to fret about transportation. Plus, you don’t want it each single day; lease a automobile for 4 days of every week’s keep, and that comes out to a transportation finances of $18 per particular person for the whole week. 

Driving in Costa Rica is usually very protected, and the principle roads are in good situation. Roads off the overwhelmed path aren’t fairly as clean; typically, there’s no asphalt, and the potholes will be fairly large. When you’re contemplating automobile rental only for straightforward transfers between cities, you can be positive with smaller automobiles. However if you wish to discover nature and go to nationwide parks, you’ll encounter rougher roads, and I recommend a car with a excessive floor clearance. These are often priced at $75-85 per day. 

Flights to Costa Rica

The majority of your finances for transportation in Costa Rica might be allotted in direction of the flight to the nation. When you’re coming from america, you possibly can often get a very good deal on return flights to Costa Rica. Spirit Airways gives round-trip flights from Miami which might be underneath $200 per particular person, which is dirt-cheap in comparison with the price of flying out of Europe. 

The most affordable round-trip flights from Europe I’ve seen had been round $700, and people had been uncommon. The common value of a return flight from Europe to Costa Rica was $850, though you would possibly have the ability to get a greater deal when you journey within the low season. 

Value of Meals

Consuming out in Costa Rica will be expensive when you aren’t acquainted with the native methods. The principle factor to know is that many eating places have menus in Spanish and English, with greater costs on their English menus. These eating places are vacationer traps, and the meals is never nearly as good as the worth would point out. 

Whereas $30 for a principal course isn’t an outrageous quantity, it’s costly in Costa Rica, the place the common value of a restaurant meal is $10-20. A $30 meal is nearly a luxurious deal with at a very good native restaurant, not only a burger and a few fries at a vacationer joint. 

The important thing to consuming good however low-cost in Costa Rica is to search out sodas. These are small, family-owned, hole-in-the-wall eating places that often don’t actually have a menu in English. It’s the place all of the locals eat, and you’ll often have a very nice meal for simply $10. You get to eat the most effective native meals and pay the identical costs because the locals, which is vital for Costa Rica on a finances. 

Additionally, it’s necessary to understand that consuming out in San Jose, Tamarindo, and La Fortuna is usually costlier than within the smaller cities. Locations off the overwhelmed path will provide higher offers each for lodging and meals, and it’s one more reason why it’s best to take into account staying in a city that’s not included in all of the vacationer guides for Central and South America. 

Grocery Buying In Costa Rica

Price range vacationers are unlikely to eat out for each meal in Costa Rica. It can save you a good sum of money when you store for groceries and prepare dinner meals, particularly on longer journeys. Native grocery shops in Costa Rica are plentiful in inexpensive contemporary fruit and greens, and you’ll typically get nice offers from locals promoting produce at stalls on the aspect of the highway. Even simply 1,000 CRC ($2) goes a good distance in Costa Rica and is sufficient for a home-cooked meal. Pineapple is de facto low-cost in Costa Rica, and you’ll often get three items for about $2. 

A weekly finances of 25,000 CRC ($50) is sufficient to cowl breakfast and dinner for 2, in addition to drinks. It’s finest to buy at native supermarkets; Maxi Pali even has an internet store the place you possibly can try the costs and availability of components within the closest store to you.

Additionally, many grocery shops within the greater cities in Costa Rica have a ready meals part. Meals are often priced at 2,000-3,000 CRC ($4-6), and the parts are very beneficiant. It received’t be the tastiest meals you eat in Costa Rica, however it would hold you full, and it’s cheaper than consuming out. 

How A lot To Price range For Meals In Costa Rica

Price range vacationers who store for groceries and eat out solely a few occasions can simply get by with a finances of $50 per week. Consuming just a few vegetarian meals might be even cheaper, as contemporary produce is usually very inexpensive in Costa Rica. 

Mid-range vacationers would possibly do one grocery run after which eat out for one meal per day. In the event that they persist with sodas, a finances of $100-150 per week for one particular person needs to be sufficient. Some days, you’ll spend rather less, and others, you’ll spend a bit extra, however that sum of money needs to be sufficient to cowl all meals and drinks in Costa Rica. 

Luxurious vacationers usually tend to eat for each meal except they’re staying in all-inclusive lodging. Fancy eating places in Costa Rica are fairly costly, and the worth of principal programs ranges from $25-40. A tasting menu in San Jose’s fanciest restaurant is round $110 per particular person with out wine pairings, so you could possibly simply spend north of $1,000 simply on meals when you needed. 

However say you eat breakfast on the resort, go to a extra inexpensive place for lunch, and splurge for dinner. That’s a finances of $300-500 per week for meals and drinks. 

Value of Actions

How a lot cash will you spend on sightseeing and actions when you’re in Costa Rica? That largely depends upon what you love to do; there are lots of free issues to do in Costa Rica, and you could possibly simply discover a very good chunk of the nation with out spending something. Uncover the mountain climbing trails, swim within the sea, and stroll round San Jose, marveling on the structure and the native vibes. 

However if you wish to go to a well-liked place like Arenal Volcano Nationwide Park, or take pleasure in a day of deep-sea fishing, the prices shortly add up. I like how Costa Rica is sweet each for vacationers preferring to discover the free actions and for individuals who wish to expertise these bucket checklist adventures. The latter goes to be the pricier different, however value it for the expertise. 

One factor to notice is that most of the touristy issues to do in Costa Rica have particular costs for foreigners, which permits them to maintain the prices low for locals. It’s a bit infuriating to pay $20 for one thing that’s free for many different individuals, however that’s simply a part of touring to Costa Rica. 

Price range vacationers are more likely to persist with free actions and revel in 2-3 paid excursions throughout their keep. A tough finances of $20 per exercise provides you all kinds of choices, because it covers the whole lot from kayaking to nationwide park entrances and entry to waterfalls. A weekly finances may very well be as little as $50, however I like to recommend growing it as a result of the actions are the most effective factor about Costa Rica. When you can handle a weekly finances of $100 for leisure, you possibly can even squeeze in one of many pricier experiences like ziplining in Monteverde or La Fortuna’s hanging bridges. 

Mid-range vacationers will in all probability wish to do one thing enjoyable on daily basis of their keep. A weekly finances of $150-200 needs to be sufficient to find Costa Rica’s pure magnificence and have enjoyable the whole time. 

Luxurious vacationers are most probably to spring for expensive actions like scuba diving or white water rafting. When you’re doing one thing that prices $100 on daily basis, you possibly can simply spend $600-700 for every week in Costa Rica. 

Price range For 1 Week in Costa Rica

Price range For two Weeks in Costa Rica