Costa Rica is an exquisite nation to go to, particularly should 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 motive. Of course, with that recognition comes a rise in costs. Costa Rica has turn out to be fairly expensive in comparison with its neighboring nations, nevertheless it’s nonetheless low cost in comparison with widespread vacationer locations in North America and even Western Europe.
After visiting the nation a number of instances and touring by quite a lot of completely different means, we expect we’ve 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. This is first-hand info.
So, how a lot cash do it’s essential 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 Expensive To Visit Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is form of an costly nation to go to. It’s dearer than different Central American nations, nevertheless it’s nonetheless usually inexpensive in comparison with the United States and Western Europe. If you’re coming from a rustic with a excessive price of residing, I doubt you’ll discover Costa Rica very costly.
Also, 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’ll be able to by yourself, and attempt to keep away from eating places that cater particularly to English-speaking vacationers. Most excursions and eating places that intention to draw as many English-speaking guests as doable have particular costs for vacationers and cost them thrice as a lot as they do locals. If there’s at the least one fluent Spanish speaker in your group, it must be simple to keep away from the inflated vacationer costs when visiting Costa Rica.
On high of that, will probably be considerably cheaper to go to the nation within the low season. Plan a visit between May and November, and it can save you some huge cash on flights, lodging, actions, and even meals. As lengthy as you don’t thoughts that it’s the wet season (however nonetheless heat), you’ll be able to nonetheless have a ton of enjoyable in Costa Rica.
Common Questions About Visiting Costa Rica
Is Costa Rica Expensive For Holidays?
Costa Rica is an costly vacation vacation spot in comparison with different nations in Central America. But should you select your resort correctly, benefit from the free points of interest, and be sensible about the place you eat, a visit to Costa Rica doesn’t have to interrupt the financial institution.
What Is The Average Cost of a Trip to Costa Rica?
The common price of a visit to Costa Rica is $800-1,300 USD for mid-range vacationers. It’s doable to journey to the nation with a smaller finances of round $500, however that doesn’t embody the price of a return flight.
How Much Does An Average Meal Cost in Costa Rica?
An common meal in Costa Rica prices $15. Plenty of cheaper and pricier choices can be found, however $15 ought to get you a pleasant meal in most eating places.
How Much Money Do You Need For 7 Days In Costa Rica?
You want at the least $1,200 for seven days in Costa Rica with lodging and a return flight (from the US). Although the nation could be explored on a smaller finances, it’s not fairly as fulfilling should you miss out on enjoyable actions for the sake of saving cash.
Cost Of Accommodation
Costa Rica is an effective vacation spot for anybody as a result of the lodging choices vary from $20 dorm beds to all-inclusive resorts which can be $1,000+ per night time. Whether you need to journey low cost or stay it up, you can find loads of choices in your value vary.
Budget vacationers are most probably to remain at non-public flats, hostels, or low cost motels. The common Costa Rican hostel expenses $20 for a dormitory mattress, so the weekly finances for lodging in Costa Rica could be as little as $120. I’ll say that should you’re touring with one other particular person, renting an residence might be the perfect budget-friendly choice.
For about $350-400 per week, you’ll be able to lease a spacious one-bedroom residence for 2, the place you’ll have a non-public toilet and kitchen. Because you’ll have entry to a kitchen, you’ll be able to cook 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 whole week.
A mid-range finances in Costa Rica means you’ll be able to keep in just about each kind of lodging within the nation, barring a flowery beachfront resort with all-inclusive service. With a finances of $70-100 per night time, you’ll be able to afford the majority of the lodging within the nation.
This improbable five-star resort is simply $150 per night time for 2, and this beautiful cabin within the mountains is even cheaper. That’s a finances of $400-700 per particular person for a whole week.
Luxury vacationers would possibly select to remain in an all-inclusive resort. They’re plentiful in Costa Rica, however their price varies fairly a bit relying on the placement. An all-inclusive resort with direct seashore entry will typically run you $400-500 per night time per particular person. But select a resort with out direct seashore entry, and also you’ll pay almost half that quantity for a similar stage of service. In basic, count on five-star motels and all-inclusive resorts to price $300-500 per night time, 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 widespread with vacationers.
If you’re simply searching for a spot the place you’ll be able to have a relaxed trip, Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast is an equally good choice. There are loads of motels and resorts the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from 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.
Another factor to remember is that when is simply as vital as the place. Travel to Costa Rica in May or June, and also you’ll get the perfect resort offers. It’s the start of the moist season, so the vacationer crowds are minimal, however the climate continues to be dry sufficient. Hotels are sometimes as much as 50% cheaper within the low season.
Budget:
Budget vacationers can discover lodging in Costa Rica for as little as $10 per night time. That’s if you wish to camp in a tent on the grounds of a hostel; should you choose to have a mattress in a room and entry to a shared toilet, you’ll must spend at the least $20-25 per night time. Double rooms in finances motels and personal flats are $50-100 per night time, and a few of the motels I’ve seen that provide double rooms for $80-100 per night time are simply within the mid-range class.
Mid-Range:
The choices for mid-range vacationers vary from secluded mountain cabins to five-star motels. If you’ll be able to finances about $600 per particular person for lodging for the week, you’ll have your decide of motels and flats throughout Costa Rica.
Luxury:
All-inclusive beachfront resorts are the epitome of luxurious in Costa Rica. Spend your days stress-free on the seashore or by the pool, getting cocktails delivered to your lounge chair. The resorts begin at roughly $600 per night time for 2 vacationers, with many choices that exceed the nightly charge of $1,000.
Cost of Transportation
If you’re not pressed for time and like to economize, I say keep away from the vacationer shuttles in any respect prices and stick with good outdated public transportation. Sure, they’re a bit quicker than the native buses, however they’re additionally considerably dearer. A vacationer shuttle from Monteverde to San Jose is roughly $50-70, whereas the general public bus is simply $7. The shuttle is simply an hour faster, so it’s usually not price it to spring for this mode of transport, particularly should you’re making an attempt to go to Costa Rica on a finances.
For shorter journeys, Uber is most popular to taxis. Local taxi drivers are generally sketchy and would possibly attempt to rip you off; Uber is way safer as you comply with a value beforehand. Uber can also be a very good choice for transfers between two cities which can be comparatively shut to at least one one other, as it may be considerably quicker than the bus however not extraordinarily costly.
So, what must you finances for transportation?
It actually relies on your journey type. If 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 each day finances for Costa Rica could be $15 for finances vacationers, $40 for mid-range vacationers, and round $80-100 for luxurious vacationers. And that’s since you don’t really want to go someplace far every single day of your keep; take sooner or later to stroll across the metropolis, or spend a day stress-free on the seashore.
Also, should you plan to go on guided excursions to nationwide parks, cut up the price of the exercise between the finances for leisure and transportation. If you’ll be able to arrange the tour by yourself, will probably be lots cheaper, nevertheless it’s comprehensible should you choose to have a information with you in another 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. If you keep in downtown San Jose, you’ll have the ability to stroll to each main attraction within the metropolis. I simply wouldn’t advocate strolling alone after darkish, as a result of some areas of the town could be a bit sketchy within the night.
Car Rental In Costa Rica
Renting a automobile is mostly not a finances journey tip, however it may possibly prevent fairly a bit of cash in Costa Rica. If you’re planning to go to the nationwide parks and journey to extra secluded locations, automobile rental is by far the most affordable choice for getting across the nation.
Car rental is $55-60 per day, together with gasoline and insurance coverage. That’s cheaper than the vacationer shuttle per particular person, and should 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 mostly very protected, and the principle roads are in good situation. Roads off the overwhelmed path should not fairly as clean; typically, there’s no asphalt, and the potholes could be fairly huge. If you’re contemplating automobile rental only for simple transfers between cities, you may be tremendous with smaller automobiles. But if you wish to discover nature and go to nationwide parks, you’ll encounter rougher roads, and I counsel a automobile with a excessive floor clearance. These are often priced at $75-85 per day.
Flights to Costa Rica
The bulk of your finances for transportation in Costa Rica shall be allotted in the direction of the flight to the nation. If you’re coming from the United States, you’ll be able to often get a very good deal on return flights to Costa Rica. Spirit Airlines affords round-trip flights from Miami which can be beneath $200 per particular person, which is dirt-cheap in comparison with the price of flying out of Europe.
The most cost-effective round-trip flights from Europe I’ve seen had been round $700, and people had been uncommon. The common price of a return flight from Europe to Costa Rica was $850, though you would possibly have the ability to get a greater deal should you journey within the low season.
Cost of Food
Eating out in Costa Rica could be expensive should you aren’t accustomed to the native methods. The major factor to know is that many eating places have menus in Spanish and English, with increased costs on their English menus. These eating places are vacationer traps, and the meals isn’t nearly as good as the worth would point out.
While $30 for a major course isn’t an outrageous quantity, it’s costly in Costa Rica, the place the typical price of a restaurant meal is $10-20. A $30 meal is sort of a luxurious deal with at a very good native restaurant, not only a burger and a few fries at a vacationer joint.
The key to consuming good however low cost in Costa Rica is to hunt out sodas. These are small, family-owned, hole-in-the-wall eating places that often don’t also 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 perfect native meals and pay the identical costs because the locals, which is essential for Costa Rica on a finances.
Also, it’s vital to take into account that consuming out in San Jose, Tamarindo, and La Fortuna is mostly dearer than within the smaller cities. Destinations off the overwhelmed path will supply higher offers each for lodging and meals, and it’s another excuse why you need to contemplate staying in a city that’s not included in all of the vacationer guides for Central and South America.
No matter the place you keep and the way a lot cash you’ll be able to spend on meals in Costa Rica, listed here are some meals that you need to intention to attempt, even when it means you need to splurge:
Casado is a Costa Rican dish consisting of rice, plantain, black beans, tortilla, salad, and optionally meat. It’s often $6-10 in a restaurant, relying on whether or not it contains meat.
Gallo Pinto is one other conventional Costa Rican dish based mostly on beans and rice. It is historically served for breakfast with fried eggs and often prices 3,500-4,500 CRC ($7-9).
Arroz con leche is to Costa Rica what Tiramisu is to Italy. It’s the perfect native dessert that you’ll find in just about each restaurant, and it’s so scrumptious that you simply’ll need to eat it after each meal. The candy rice pudding is often priced at 1,300-2,000 CRC, which is roughly $3-4.
Grocery Shopping In Costa Rica
Budget vacationers are unlikely to eat out for each meal in Costa Rica. You can save a good amount of cash should you store for groceries and cook dinner meals, particularly on longer journeys. Local 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 street. Even simply 1,000 CRC ($2) goes a good distance in Costa Rica and is sufficient for a home-cooked meal. Pineapple is actually 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 greatest to buy at native supermarkets; Maxi Pali even has a web based store the place you’ll be able to try the costs and availability of substances within the closest store to you.
Also, many grocery shops within the larger 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 gained’t be the tastiest meals you eat in Costa Rica, however it’ll preserve you full, and it’s cheaper than consuming out.
How Much To Budget For Food In Costa Rica
Budget vacationers who store for groceries and eat out solely a few instances can simply get by with a finances of $50 per week. Eating a number of vegetarian meals shall be even cheaper, as contemporary produce is mostly very inexpensive in Costa Rica.
Mid-range vacationers would possibly do one grocery run after which eat out for one meal per day. If they stick with sodas, a finances of $100-150 per week for one particular person must be sufficient. Some days, you’ll spend rather less, and others, you’ll spend slightly extra, however that amount of cash must be sufficient to cowl all meals and drinks in Costa Rica.
Luxury vacationers usually tend to eat for each meal until they’re staying in all-inclusive lodging. Fancy eating places in Costa Rica are fairly costly, and the worth of major 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 may simply spend north of $1,000 simply on meals should you wished.
But 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.
Cost of Activities
How a lot cash will you spend on sightseeing and actions whilst you’re in Costa Rica? That largely relies on what you love to do; there are a lot of free issues to do in Costa Rica, and you may simply discover a very good chunk of the nation with out spending something. Discover the mountaineering trails, swim within the sea, and stroll round San Jose, marveling on the structure and the native vibes.
But if you wish to go to a preferred place like Arenal Volcano National Park, or get pleasure from a day of deep-sea fishing, the prices rapidly add up. I like how Costa Rica is nice each for vacationers preferring to discover the free actions and for individuals who need to expertise these bucket checklist adventures. The latter goes to be the pricier different, however price 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 is a bit infuriating to pay $20 for one thing that’s free for many different folks, however that’s simply a part of touring to Costa Rica.
Budget vacationers are prone to stick 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 all the things from kayaking to nationwide park entrances and entry to waterfalls. A weekly finances could possibly be as little as $50, however I like to recommend growing it as a result of the actions are the perfect factor about Costa Rica. If you’ll be able to handle a weekly finances of $100 for leisure, you’ll be able to 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 need to do one thing enjoyable every single day of their keep. A weekly finances of $150-200 must be sufficient to find Costa Rica’s pure magnificence and have enjoyable the whole time.
Luxury vacationers are most probably to spring for expensive actions like scuba diving or white water rafting. If you’re doing one thing that prices $100 every single day, you’ll be able to simply spend $600-700 for every week in Costa Rica.
Budget For 1 Week in Costa Rica
Here’s a breakdown of a mid-range finances for one week in Costa Rica:
$600 for lodging
$150 meals
$250 for transportation
$200 for actions
$200 (US) – $850 (Europe) for flights
That’s round $1,200 per particular person for a whole week, not together with the return flight. And consider I’ve allotted a better finances for meals and actions; should you had been to spend a few days having fun with the free issues to do in Costa Rica and eat out much less steadily, you may simply get by with a finances of $1,000 per week.
Budget vacationers can expertise Costa Rica for $400-500 in every week, whereas luxurious vacationers will spend at the least $2,500. I have to say that, for luxurious vacationers, reserving an all-inclusive resort drastically reduces the finances for meals and drinks.
Budget For 2 Weeks in Costa Rica
A two-week finances for a mid-range traveler in Costa Rica is just about simply double the weekly finances:
$1,200 for lodging
$300 meals
$500 for transportation
$400 for actions
$200 (US) – $850 (Europe) for flights
Budget vacationers could make do with $800-1,000 for 2 weeks, whereas mid-range vacationers want $2,000-2,500 for the perfect expertise. Luxury vacationers are prone to spend at the least $5,000 for an all-inclusive two-week trip in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is certainly considered one of our favorite nations in Latin America. It doesn’t actually matter if you’re a backpacker on a finances or somebody searching for luxurious; you might be assured to have a tremendous journey. While it’s true that Costa Rica shouldn’t be the most affordable vacation spot in Central America, that doesn’t imply it’ll break the financial institution both. If you comply with our options above, it is possible for you to to journey Costa Rica figuring out which you could preserve your finances the place you want it and have a good time as nicely.