💰 Trip to Costa Rica Cost: My Budget Breakdown (2024)

💰 Trip Cost	Affordable
💵 Typical Budget	$55-$200/day
🍀 My Budget	$235/day
✈️ Trip Total	$3,492
🗓️ Trip Length	2 weeks

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Is Costa Rica Affordable To Travel To?

Although Costa Rica is an affordable destination worldwide, it is the most expensive country to visit in Central America.

• The country’s primary industry is tourism, so it offers a wide range of transportation and accommodation for different budgets.
• The government abolished its army and redirected its funds into social programs related to education and health, leading to better standards of living and higher prices.

For comparison, here’s my daily budget for destinations in Central and South America:

Country	My Budget
🇨🇷 Costa Rica	$235
🇧🇿 Belize	$186
🇵🇪 Peru	$144
🇳🇮 Nicaragua	$59

See all my daily budgets.

About My Trip

To give context to the expenses below, here’s what you need to know about my trip:

• I spent two weeks in Costa Rica, visiting La Fortuna, Monteverde, Nosara, and Manuel Antonio.
• My trip was in March, during the high season, when things are more expensive.
• I traveled with two other people, which allowed us to split costs like housing.
• I’m a mid-range budget traveler. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m intentional about my spending.
• I finance my trips and don’t receive sponsorship.
• All expenses are per person and in US dollars, converted from the Costa Rican Colón.

The exchange rate was $1 USD = 522₡ at the time of writing.

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Costa Rica.

Total Cost

• $3,492
• $3,202
• $233

A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend about $200 per day in Costa Rica. This budget generally means:

• Staying at accommodations that cost less than $100 per night
• Eating at $ to $$ restaurants that cost about $30 per day
• Getting around by shuttle
• Booking group tours for top attractions and activities

Budget Breakdown

Here’s a breakdown of my expenses by travel category:

Category	Cost	% of Total	Daily Budget
✈️ Flights	$205	6%	–
🏠 Accommodation	$1,271	36%	$91
🍛 Food	$342	10%	$24
🚗 Transportation	$414	12%	$30
⭐ Entertainment	$1,260	36%	$90
Total	$3,492	100%	$235

Flight Cost

• $205 (from the east coast of the US to Costa Rica’s San Jose International Airport)

A round-trip flight between the US and Costa Rica costing under $200 is considered cheap, as international flights typically cost over $300.

Accommodation Cost

• $1,271
• $91

The accommodations I stayed at:

Accommodation	Total Cost	Cost/Night
Nosara hotel	$707	$236
La Fortuna hotel	$146	$49
La Fortuna Airbnb	$158	$39
Monteverde hotel	$115	$57
Manuel Antonio Airbnb	$147	$73

My accommodation budgeting tips:

• The cheapest options start at $15 a night – Stay at a hostel for $15 to $20 a night in popular places like La Fortuna. This can save you $10 to $30 per day compared to staying at a budget hotel.
• Budget options are about $60 a night – Basic accommodation in Costa Rica starts at around $60 per night, so be prepared to pay over $100 per night for mid-range hotels.

Food Cost

• $342
• $24

My most affordable meals:

Meal	Location	Cost
Tamales	Soda 5 Tejas (La Fortuna)	$4
Casado	Soda La Hormiga (La Fortuna)	$4
Casado and soup	Soda Víquez (La Fortuna)	$5

My most expensive meals:

Meal	Location	Cost
Seafood platter	La Luna (Nosara)	$39
Fish and salad	Harmony Cafe (Nosara)	$25
Steak and rice	Travesía (La Fortuna)	$18

My food budgeting tips:

• Eat at “sodas” and local markets – Local food in Costa Rica is very affordable. You can get a full meal with a juice drink for $10 or less if you visit authentic, local restaurants called “sodas.”
• Try “casados” – Casados are among Costa Rica’s most affordable meals. They are a typical Costa Rican meal with rice, black beans, plantains, salad, and protein (chicken, beef, pork, or fish).

Transportation Cost

• $414
• $30

The transportation I used:

Transportation	Total Cost	Cost/Ride
Taxis	$28	$3
Private shuttles	$254	$127
Group shuttles	$132	$44

My transportation budgeting tips:

• Shuttles are the best way to get around to balance convenience and budget – The average price of a shared shuttle for long distances (about three hours) is $30 to $40 per person.
• Private shuttles and local airlines are a luxury – The most expensive and convenient ways to get around are by private shuttles and local airlines, which generally cost more than $100 per trip.
• Rental cars are semi-affordable – A rental will average about $40 per day, not including gas.

Entertainment Cost 

• $1,260
• $90

The activities/attractions I did:

Experience	Location	Cost
🌋 Arenal Volcano Horseback	La Fortuna	$75
🌳 Místico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park	La Fortuna	$91
🌊 Whitewater Rafting & Zipline	La Fortuna	$134
♨️ Ecotermales Hot Spring	La Fortuna	$72
♨️ Los Lagos Hot Spring	La Fortuna	$17
🍫 Chocolate & Coffee Tour	La Fortuna	$44
🌳 Monteverde Cloud Forest Zipline	Monteverde	$54
💧 La Fortuna Waterfall	La Fortuna	$83
🌴 Manuel Antonio National Park	Manuel Antonio	$18
🍲 La Fortuna Town	La Fortuna	Free
🌳 Monteverde Cloud Forest	Monteverde	$60
🦉 Monteverde Wildlife Refuge Night Walk	Monteverde	$31
🦥 Sloth Sanctuary	Monteverde	$40
🦋 Monteverde Butterfly Garden	Monteverde	$20
🏖️ Playa Espadilla	Manuel Antonio	Free
🤿 Playa Biesanz	Manuel Antonio	Free
🚙 Nosara ATV Ride	Nosara	$110
🚡 Arenal Volcano Sky Tram	La Fortuna	$68
🛍️ Shopping	Everywhere	$161
💆‍♀️ Massages (4x)	Everywhere	$147
🧘‍♂️ Yoga (2x)	Nosara	$35

My entertainment budgeting tips:

• Enjoy Costa Rica’s free attractions – For example, the country has 28 beautiful national parks, and most have an entrance fee. But they’re free to everyone every year on August 24th to celebrate National Parks Day.
• Evaluate tour packages carefully – Tourism is Costa Rica’s biggest industry, so almost all activities have tours. Some packages include entrance fees, meals, and transportation, so take these costs into account when comparing tour packages.

See my ratings for Costa Rica’s experiences.

Cost Breakdown by Destination

Below are my trip expense breakdowns for the places I visited during my trip.

La Fortuna

• 7 days
• $1,173
• $168

La Fortuna is one of Costa Rica’s most visited towns. Guided tours here, like horseback riding around Arenal Volcano and taking a coffee tour, will not be cheap, but you can save money by staying at nearby Airbnbs and eating at sodas.

Monteverde

• 2 days
• $544
• $272

Monteverde is another of Costa Rica’s most visited destinations and is famous for its cloud forests, so expect to do a few $50 to $90 tours related to its forests.

Manuel Antonio

• 2 days
• $327
• $164

Manuel Antonio is known for Manuel Antonio National Park, which has an entrance fee of $18.

Nosara

• 3 days
• $1,227
• $409

Nosara is an expensive beach town, so the cost is generally higher. Across Costa Rica, you can usually find cheap, local meals and budget $20 for food per day, but I found that difficult in Nosara.

Do You Need Cash?

• Costa Rica has a great credit card infrastructure, but some areas still depend on cash transactions. This is especially true outside the touristy areas.

My tips on using cash:

• USD and Costa Rican colón are widely used, so you can withdraw cash in either currency. If you use USD, expect to receive change in colónes where you may not get a favorable exchange rate.
• Carry about $25 to $30 worth of cash per day. I spent about $420 ($30 per day) in cash during my trip to tip tour guides and pay for food.
• Tipping is customary in Costa Rica, and it’s appreciated, especially by those working in the tourism industry. A 10% tip is typical at restaurants.

Costa Rica Trip Planner 2024