Costa Rica is a wonderful 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 purpose. In fact, with that recognition comes a rise in costs. Costa Rica has turn out to be fairly dear in comparison with its neighboring nations, however it’s nonetheless low-cost in comparison with common vacationer locations in North America and even Western Europe.
After visiting the nation a number of instances and touring by loads of totally different means, we expect we have now 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 data.
So, how a lot cash do it is advisable journey to Costa Rica, and is price range journey within the nation even potential? Let’s dive into the price range breakdown for a Costa Rica vacation.
Is It Costly To Go to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is sort of an costly nation to go to. It’s costlier than different Central American nations, however it’s nonetheless usually inexpensive in comparison with the US and Western Europe. For those who’re coming from a rustic with a excessive price of dwelling, I doubt you’ll discover Costa Rica very costly.
Additionally, there are tons of how it can save you cash whereas touring Costa Rica. Skip the guided excursions and discover as a lot as you may by yourself, and attempt to keep away from eating places that cater particularly to English-speaking vacationers. Most excursions and eating places that goal to draw as many English-speaking guests as potential have particular costs for vacationers and cost them 3 times as a lot as they do locals. If there’s no less than one fluent Spanish speaker in your group, it needs to be simple to keep away from the inflated vacationer costs when visiting Costa Rica.
On high of that, it is going to be considerably cheaper to go to the nation within the low season. Plan a visit between Might 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 may nonetheless have a ton of enjoyable in Costa Rica.
Frequent Questions About Visiting Costa Rica
Is Costa Rica Costly For Holidays?
Costa Rica is an costly vacation vacation spot in comparison with different nations in Central America. However should you select your resort correctly, benefit from the free points of interest, and be good about the place you eat, a visit to Costa Rica doesn’t have to interrupt the financial institution.
What Is The Common Price of a Journey to Costa Rica?
The common price of a visit to Costa Rica is $800-1,300 USD for mid-range vacationers. It’s potential to journey to the nation with a smaller price range of round $500, however that doesn’t embody the price of a return flight.
How A lot Does An Common Meal Price in Costa Rica?
A median meal in Costa Rica prices $15. Loads of cheaper and pricier choices can be found, however $15 ought to get you a pleasant meal in most eating places.
How A lot Cash Do You Want For 7 Days In Costa Rica?
You want no less than $1,200 for seven days in Costa Rica with lodging and a return flight (from the US). Though the nation could be explored on a smaller price range, it’s not fairly as pleasant should you miss out on enjoyable actions for the sake of saving cash.
Price Of Lodging
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 evening. Whether or not you wish to journey low-cost or stay it up, you will see that loads of choices in your value vary.
Finances vacationers are most definitely to remain at personal flats, hostels, or low-cost lodges. The common Costa Rican hostel costs $20 for a dormitory mattress, so the weekly price range for lodging in Costa Rica could be as little as $120. I’ll say that should you’re touring with one other individual, renting an condominium might be the perfect budget-friendly possibility.
For about $350-400 per week, you may lease a spacious one-bedroom condominium for 2, the place you should have a non-public lavatory and kitchen. Since you’ll have entry to a kitchen, you may cook dinner most of your meals and save fairly a bit of cash on meals. And that’s on a price range of $170-200 per individual for a complete week.
A mid-range price range in Costa Rica means you may keep in just about each kind of lodging within the nation, barring a elaborate beachfront resort with all-inclusive service. With a price range of $70-100 per evening, you may afford the majority of the lodging within the nation.
This unbelievable five-star resort is simply $150 per evening for 2, and this beautiful cabin within the mountains is even cheaper. That’s a price range of $400-700 per individual for a complete week.
Luxurious vacationers may select to remain in an all-inclusive resort. They’re ample in Costa Rica, however their price varies fairly a bit relying on the placement. An all-inclusive resort with direct seaside entry will usually run you $400-500 per evening per individual. However select a resort with out direct seaside entry, and also you’ll pay almost half that quantity for a similar degree of service. Usually, count on five-star lodges and all-inclusive resorts to price $300-500 per evening, per individual, 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 common with vacationers.
For those who’re simply in search of a spot the place you may have a relaxed trip, Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast is an equally good possibility. There are many lodges and resorts the place you may take pleasure in lounging on the seaside 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 bear in mind is that when is simply as essential as the place. Journey to Costa Rica in Might 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 remains to be dry sufficient. Inns are sometimes as much as 50% cheaper within the low season.
Finances:
Finances vacationers can discover lodging in Costa Rica for as little as $10 per evening. That’s if you wish to camp in a tent on the grounds of a hostel; should you favor to have a mattress in a room and entry to a shared lavatory, you’ll must spend no less than $20-25 per evening. Double rooms in price range lodges and personal flats are $50-100 per evening, and a number of the lodges I’ve seen that provide double rooms for $80-100 per evening are simply within the mid-range class.
Mid-Vary:
The choices for mid-range vacationers vary from secluded mountain cabins to five-star lodges. For those who can price range about $600 per individual for lodging for the week, you’ll have your decide of lodges and flats throughout Costa Rica.
Luxurious:
All-inclusive beachfront resorts are the epitome of luxurious in Costa Rica. Spend your days stress-free on the seaside or by the pool, getting cocktails delivered to your lounge chair. The resorts begin at roughly $600 per evening for 2 vacationers, with many choices that exceed the nightly charge of $1,000.
Price of Transportation
For those who’re not pressed for time and like to save cash, I say keep away from the vacationer shuttles in any respect prices and stick with good outdated public transportation. Certain, they’re a bit sooner 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 price it to spring for this mode of transport, particularly should you’re attempting to go to Costa Rica on a price range.
For shorter journeys, Uber is most well-liked to taxis. Native taxi drivers are typically sketchy and may attempt to rip you off; Uber is far safer as you conform to a value beforehand. Uber can also be a very good possibility for transfers between two cities which can be comparatively shut to at least one one other, as it may be considerably sooner than the bus however not extraordinarily costly.
So, what must you price range for transportation?
It actually is dependent upon your journey type. For those who don’t plan to spend an excessive amount of time outdoors your resort, then you definately simply must price range for the switch to and from the airport.
A tough every day price range for Costa Rica can be $15 for price range 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 each day of your keep; take someday to stroll across the metropolis, or spend a day stress-free on the seaside.
Additionally, should you plan to go on guided excursions to nationwide parks, cut up the price of the exercise between the price range for leisure and transportation. For those who can manage the tour by yourself, it is going to be lots cheaper, however it’s comprehensible should you favor 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 price range a lot to discover the vacationer points of interest. For those who keep in downtown San Jose, you’ll be capable 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.
Automotive Rental In Costa Rica
Renting a automotive is mostly not a price range journey tip, however it may possibly prevent fairly a bit of cash in Costa Rica. For those who’re planning to go to the nationwide parks and journey to extra secluded locations, automotive 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 individual, and should you’re touring with a couple of different individual, it’s a no brainer. Having a automotive in Costa Rica additionally provides you the final word freedom to discover the nation and permits you to skip guided excursions as you don’t want to fret about transportation. Plus, you don’t want it each single day; lease a automotive for 4 days of every week’s keep, and that comes out to a transportation price range of $18 per individual for your entire week.
Driving in Costa Rica is mostly very protected, and the principle roads are in good situation. Roads off the overwhelmed path will not be fairly as clean; usually, there’s no asphalt, and the potholes could be fairly massive. For those who’re contemplating automotive rental only for simple transfers between cities, you can be nice with smaller autos. However if you wish to discover nature and go to nationwide parks, you’ll encounter rougher roads, and I counsel a car with a excessive floor clearance. These are often priced at $75-85 per day.
Flights to Costa Rica
The majority of your price range for transportation in Costa Rica might be allotted in direction of the flight to the nation. For those who’re coming from the US, you may often get a very good deal on return flights to Costa Rica. Spirit Airways presents round-trip flights from Miami which can be below $200 per individual, 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 have been round $700, and people have been uncommon. The common price of a return flight from Europe to Costa Rica was $850, though you may be capable to get a greater deal should you journey within the low season.
Price of Meals
Consuming out in Costa Rica could be dear should you aren’t acquainted with the native methods. The primary factor to know is that many eating places have menus in Spanish and English, with larger 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.
Whereas $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 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 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 price range.
Additionally, it’s essential to needless to say consuming out in San Jose, Tamarindo, and La Fortuna is mostly costlier than within the smaller cities. Locations off the overwhelmed path will provide higher offers each for lodging and meals, and it’s another excuse why you must take into account staying in a city that’s not included in all of the vacationer guides for Central and South America.
Regardless of the place you keep and the way a lot cash you’ll be able to spend on meals in Costa Rica, listed below are some meals that you must goal to strive, even when it means it’s important 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 consists of meat.
Gallo Pinto is one other conventional Costa Rican dish primarily based on beans and rice. It’s 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 will discover in just about each restaurant, and it’s so scrumptious that you just’ll wish 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 Procuring In Costa Rica
Finances vacationers are unlikely to eat out for each meal in Costa Rica. It can save you a good amount of cash should you store for groceries and cook dinner meals, particularly on longer journeys. Native grocery shops in Costa Rica are ample in inexpensive recent fruit and greens, and you’ll usually get nice offers from locals promoting produce at stalls on the aspect of the street. Even simply 1,000 CRC ($2) goes a great distance in Costa Rica and is sufficient for a home-cooked meal. Pineapple is admittedly low-cost in Costa Rica, and you’ll often get three items for about $2.
A weekly price range 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 an internet store the place you may 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 gained’t be the tastiest meals you eat in Costa Rica, however it is going to hold you full, and it’s cheaper than consuming out.
How A lot To Finances For Meals In Costa Rica
Finances vacationers who store for groceries and eat out solely a few instances can simply get by with a price range of $50 per week. Consuming a couple of vegetarian meals might be even cheaper, as recent produce is mostly very inexpensive in Costa Rica.
Mid-range vacationers may do one grocery run after which eat out for one meal per day. In the event that they stick with sodas, a price range of $100-150 per week for one individual needs to be sufficient. Some days, you’ll spend rather less, and others, you’ll spend a bit extra, however that amount of cash 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 major programs ranges from $25-40. A tasting menu in San Jose’s fanciest restaurant is round $110 per individual with out wine pairings, so you might simply spend north of $1,000 simply on meals should you wished.
However say you eat breakfast on the resort, go to a extra inexpensive place for lunch, and splurge for dinner. That’s a price range of $300-500 per week for meals and drinks.
Price of Actions
How a lot cash will you spend on sightseeing and actions whilst you’re in Costa Rica? That largely is dependent upon what you love to do; there are numerous free issues to do in Costa Rica, and you might simply discover a very good chunk of the nation with out spending something. Uncover the 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 preferred 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 nice each for vacationers preferring to discover the free actions and for many who wish to expertise these bucket checklist adventures. The latter goes to be the pricier various, however price it for the expertise.
One factor to notice is that lots 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 folks, however that’s simply a part of touring to Costa Rica.
Finances vacationers are more likely to stick with free actions and luxuriate in 2-3 paid excursions throughout their keep. A tough price range 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 price range may very well 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. For those who can handle a weekly price range of $100 for leisure, you may 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 each day of their keep. A weekly price range of $150-200 needs to be sufficient to find Costa Rica’s pure magnificence and have enjoyable your entire time.
Luxurious vacationers are most definitely to spring for dear actions like scuba diving or white water rafting. For those who’re doing one thing that prices $100 each day, you may simply spend $600-700 for every week in Costa Rica.
Finances For 1 Week in Costa Rica
Right here’s a breakdown of a mid-range price range 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 individual for a complete week, not together with the return flight. And be mindful I’ve allotted a better price range for meals and actions; should you have been to spend a few days having fun with the free issues to do in Costa Rica and eat out much less ceaselessly, you might simply get by with a price range of $1,000 per week.
Finances vacationers can expertise Costa Rica for $400-500 in every week, whereas luxurious vacationers will spend no less than $2,500. I have to say that, for luxurious vacationers, reserving an all-inclusive resort drastically reduces the price range for meals and drinks.
Finances For two Weeks in Costa Rica
A two-week price range for a mid-range traveler in Costa Rica is just about simply double the weekly price range:
$1,200 for lodging
$300 meals
$500 for transportation
$400 for actions
$200 (US) – $850 (Europe) for flights
Finances vacationers could make do with $800-1,000 for 2 weeks, whereas mid-range vacationers want $2,000-2,500 for the perfect expertise. Luxurious vacationers are more likely to spend no less than $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 price range or somebody in search of luxurious; you’re assured to have an incredible journey. Whereas it’s true that Costa Rica shouldn’t be the most affordable vacation spot in Central America, that doesn’t imply it is going to break the financial institution both. For those who observe our solutions above, it is possible for you to to journey Costa Rica understanding you can hold your price range the place you want it and have a good time as nicely.