Handling money is one of the most crucial and important things to know before you travel abroad. Nowadays credit cards are the norm and cash is the atypical but in Costa Rica, it is still useful to have some cash on hand. Here is all you need to know about handling money in Costa Rica: exchanging, USD dollars and Costa Rica currency.
Costa Rica Currency
The Costa Rica currency is the colon (colones plural), named after Christopher Columbus. The Costa Rican currency symbol is ₡, a c with two lines across.
Costa Rica Colon to USD Exchange Rates
The Costa Rica currency exchange rate changes constantly. Additionally, it is not the same in every bank or financial institution since the colón is not bound to the Central Bank of Costa Rica devaluations. Since 2006, exchange rates posted by the Central Bank are used as a reference. Costa Rica money exchange rates change daily due to this reason.
As of November 2018, the current exchange rate is around 605 Costa Rican colon to 1 USD. You will notice that many locals use a 500 to 1 exchange rate as it is the easiest to calculate but the rate has gone up quite a bit! 500 to 1 is no longer close to the correct exchange rate.
Make sure to always calculate this when using USD because some locals may try to pull a fast one with the exchange rate. If they give your change back using the 500 to 1 rate, you will be losing money (more on that in a bit).
Costa Rican Currency Bills and Coins
The bills come in 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000 and 50000. Coins come in 5, 10, 25, 50 100 and 500.
Costa Rica currency are really pretty with animals and bright colors. It’s one of the most colorful bills in the world! And each one has a different animal on it.
A quick way to figure out an estimate of how much things cost in Costa Rica is by doubling the amount and taking 3 zeroes. 5,000 colones is roughly $10, 10,000 colones is roughly $20, 50,000 colones is about $100 and so on. Use this only as an estimate!
Is USD accepted in Costa Rica?
Yes! And readily. This is because Costa Rica is a touristic destination with mostly United States citizens as their main tourists. Additionally, many American companies have headquarters in Costa Rica.
You will notice that many tours and hotels are quoted in USD and some restaurant menus have prices in USD. This is very apparent in touristic destinations because thanks to the increasing exchange rate, locals get more Costa Rican colones if they are paid in USD. For example, if you tip 5,000 colones it’s only about $8.00 compared to a $10 bill.
Pretty much all tour companies and many Costa Ricans have a colones and a USD bank account. Mortgages, car and down payments are quoted and paid in dollars so it is a big deal when the exchange rate fluctuates a significant amount.
Because of this, you do not necessarily need to exchange money before traveling to Costa Rica if you already have USD.
Costa Rica Money Common Question: How much cash should I bring to Costa Rica?
This depends on what you plan to do and where you are going in Costa Rica. Credit cards are accepted in Costa Rica nearly everywhere though so you don’t have to bring a ton of cash. However, some restaurants in touristic destinations may not accept credit cards. We found this to be very common in Santa Teresa, Samara and Tamarindo so make sure to ask in those places.
Most tour companies can let you pay by credit card or Paypal if you pre-book tours online. If you are booking the day of or last minute in person, some may only accept cash.
I recommend bringing USD and small bills. It is very hard to break 50’s and 100’s in Costa Rica unless you go to the bank or a casino. Also make sure all the bills are in good condition – no rips, tears, folds, nothing. Costa Rica is very strict on this and they will not accept any bill with a flaw. I once received a $20 bill from the ATM that had a tiny folding misprint and no one would take it except the bank.
Costa Rica Money Common Question: When Should I Use Dollars or Colones?
Even though USD are accepted everywhere in Costa Rica, there are some places where it is more favorable to use one or the other.
Pay in USD when things are quoted in USD. These are things like tours, private/shared shuttles, hotels, etc. Usually the more expensive products in tourism. This is the best currency to use in Costa Rica for these kinds of things.
Use Costa Rican colones for smaller priced items quoted in colones. These are supermarkets, souvenir stores, farmers markets, street vendors, taxis, buses and toll booths. That way you don’t need to worry about losing out on the exchange rate or having to calculate to the exact colon if you use USD. You should also use Costa Rica currency if you happen to be in a rural area.
The buses that you pay when you get on do not accept any currency except Costa Rican colones. Buses with long routes (like San Jose to Liberia or Puerto Viejo) must be paid in advance via credit card, USD or colones at the bus station. You can pay the toll booths in USD but colones is much more preferred.
You can tip in either colones or dollars but dollars are preferable in the tourism industry.
Where Can I Exchange Money in Costa Rica?
For the best exchanges rates, go to the bank. You can exchange at any of the banks (Banco Nacional, BCR, etc.). Make sure to bring your original passport (not photocopy!) and write down how to ask in Spanish. It is Yo quiero cambiar dinero.
You also need to know how much money you are exchanging.
You can also exchange at the airport. Both the Liberia International and San Jose International Airport currency exchange is right when you exit customs and at baggage claim. You don’t get the best exchange rate so if you can wait until the bank, I would.
Hotels can also exchange Costa Rica currency for you. Usually only the big chain hotels can exchange money only like Marriotts or Hiltons, not the small family run inns, budget hotels or hostels.
You can exchange at the supermarket or restaurants. If you pay in USD, they will give you your change back in colones. Just make sure to check the exchange rate. Most supermarkets give the current rate but not all restaurants.
Can I Use Canadian Dollars or Euros in Costa Rica?
Canadian dollars, Euros, or any other sort of currency besides USD are not accepted in Costa Rica. Not all banks accept or exchange Canadian dollars or Euros either, very few do.
There is a currency exchange at San Jose and Liberia Airport that takes Euros, GBP, etc. In case you don’t have any USD beforehand and no bank in your home country has Costa Rican colones, we recommend you to exchange at the airport to get some Costa Rican colones.
ATM Use in Costa Rica
You can find ATMs in nearly every touristic town in Costa Rica (exceptions are Drake Bay). They are in English and Spanish and you can withdraw both Costa Rican currency and USD. This works for Canadian bank cards or other bank cards.
All banks have an ATM and they are available 24/7. We do recommend to withdraw money during the day and be cautious of people hovering about.
What Credit Cards are Accepted in Costa Rica?
Nearly all credit cards are accepted. American Express is accepted only in certain places. You will see pictures on the windows of stores of which credit cards they accept (but some are misleading so don’t always believe it 100%). Visa is the most widely accepted.
Credit cards are widely accepted in Costa Rica but in some places, they are not. These are destinations like Samara, Santa Teresa, Montezuma, and some places in the South Pacific (Dominical/Uvita/Ojochal/Osa Peninsula) and some businesses in Tamarindo. Make sure you have plenty of Costa Rican colones or USD with you if you’re visiting those places. In rural, remote areas, it is best to use colones.
If you’re going souvenir shopping, usually they will give you a discount if you pay in cash so they don’t have to charge the credit card fee.
Debit Cards in Costa Rica
I used my debit card for a couple of years in Costa Rica before getting a credit card and it was fine. However, I don’t recommend it since there isn’t as much protection for debit cards as there is for credit cards. Car rental companies don’t normally take debit cards since the deposit takes 1-3 months to return compared to 72 hours for credit card.
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Carla says
Hi I’ve relied on your blog for planning our trip to CR…thank-you! So informative and helpful!!!
Sammi says
Hi Carla, we are very happy to hear that! We hope you have a great time!
Greg says
Thanks for all the great advice. We are in the planning stages for a trip to Costa Rica next March.
We are looking in the Dominical/Uvita area. Thanks for all the info so far.
Lewis says
Your blog is the best, and we’re renting our SUV through you for our trip at the end of May 2019. You mention making sure you don’t get scammed on the exchange rate. If the math is not done correctly, do I just point it out to the cashier. It’s hard to imagine arguing at the check out.
Sammi says
Thank you for the kind words 🙂
Yes, make sure to check the current exchange rate and you find they didn’t calculate it right, point it out to them immediately. We’ve even pulled out the calculator on our phone and calculated it ourselves to make sure it was correct. Check if they posted what the exchange rate they use is, most supermarkets and gas stations do, but if you go to a small one or a more rural area, right now it is around 588 CRC to 1 USD.
Brad says
Hi, Can I exchange from colones to USD before leaving Costa Rica
Sammi says
Yes definitely, you can go to any bank or at the airport to exchange. Bank is a bit better.
Bonny & Joe Hillebet says
Hi Sammi and Yeison,
We are finally 2 weeks away from our trip to Costa Rica, and thanks to all your help, we are down to figuring out how many colognes we will need. Question for today: Is gas paid in colognes, dollars, or can it be paid with credit card, even? We are going to be arriving March 4, and leaving March 20, and will be driving from San Jose to Vera Blanca, to Monteverde, to Carara area, then San Isidro General area, then Savegre, San Gerardo de Dota, and back to San Jose during that time, spending 2-3 nights in each area. We are really excited about it, and all your information has been outstanding. We are renting our car thru your website, too. Thank-you so much.
Sammi says
Hi Bonny, you an read all about getting gas here: Costa Rica gas stations 🙂
Diane says
Thank you for the very informative information, I have really enjoyed reading your blog. We are headed to CR in a week and were planning to take a small amount of USD and withdraw as we need from the ATM. The exchange rate to purchase Colones in Canada is less favourable. Are the ATMs readily available? We land in Liberia and head to La Fortuna and would likely want to with draw some local currency in the first couple of days.
Sammi says
Hi Diane, ATM’s are readily available in Costa Rica and you will find ATM’s that are 24 hours. There is a currency exchange at the airport but keep in mind that most banks in Costa Rica don’t exchange Canadian dollars, only some of them do so to be sure, I would withdraw colones at the airport just in case.
Diane says
Thank you Sammi,
Our intention would be to leave our Canadian money at home. Please confirm, If we are using our Canadian ATM card, at all machines we would have the option to withdraw Colones or USD, have I understood this correctly? Do you know if they convert Canadian to Colones directly, or do they convert from CAD to USD and then to Colones?
Thank you
Diane
Sammi says
Hi Diane, that is correct all ATMS give you the option to withdraw colones or USD. I would think Canadian to colones would be just straight Canadian to Colones.
les says
With respect to exchanging money in CR, specifically Samara where we just spent January, the two local banks have no issue exchanging your Can for Colones and for a good rate as well.
We received the same exchange rate as available in the money exchange locations in Malls and better than at our Can bank.
All that is needed is to take your passport with you.
Heidi says
Do you know which if any banks in Playas Del Coco will exchange Canadian dollars? Last time in CR I had no issue exchanging at the Scotia Bank in Jaco but I see there is no Scotia Bank in Coco. Would much prefer to not have to get USD here in Canada before we leave and have to exchange twice.
Sammi says
None that I know of. There is a Scotia Bank in Liberia though, in the Santa Rosa Plaza.
Robin says
I am from UK and I got fees everywhere when I withdraw from ATM…
Just heard about one mobile application Fairswap to exchange cash.
Widely, you can post your need in foreign currency and if there is someone nearby facing the reverse need, then he can contact you and you will meet him and make the swap.
Could be a good way to change before travelling or get rid of some leftover after holidays.
Patsy says
So impressed with your blog! I’ve never seen another website about Costa Rica with so much info that is up to date and accurate and truly helpful. I’ve traveled to Costa Rica several times and have still picked up some great tips from your blog as I prepare for another visit. One question — do you have any info on moving to Costa Rica? I’ve wanted to do this for years and am now in process of gathering info on the specifics. My trip in 2 weeks is to visit potential areas to live. I would really appreciate any ideas or recommendations you may have. Thanks so much and keep up the great job!! You guys have the best job in the world! Enjoy.
Sammi says
Hi Patsy, thanks for your kind words! We just try to do our best to put as much helpful and up to date info as possible! As for moving to Costa Rica, that is a huuuuge topic so it depends on what you’re asking about (living, making money, daily expenses, finding rent, buying, etc.) and it depends on what stage of life you are at – single, retired, family, etc. I haven’t written any posts on it just because it’s such a big topic but my best advice is to first figure out how you’ll make money if you’re not retired because it’s incredibly hard to get a job in Costa Rica and the living wages are way lower so depending on your lifestyle, a lot of people don’t live here permanently because they can’t get a job or make/have enough money to keep living the lifestyle they want in Costa Rica. Good luck!
Sandy kolp says
Just want to tell you your site was very useful with our trip to Costa Rica this April. Had a great time and saw lots of animals. Keep up the good work. Sandy Kolp
Sammi says
Hi Sandy, I’m so glad to hear that and that you guys had a great time in Costa Rica! Thanks for reading!
Shahla Foote says
I found information you previded very helpful ! I’m leaving for Costa Rica some times next month and can use all the info comes my way .
Thank You ☺️
Sammi says
Hi Shahla! I’m happy to hear the information is useful! We hope you have a wonderful time and you can find a lot of information on this page: Costa Rica information
Jennifer Grundy says
Thank you for these tips.
Some restaurants give a price in colones and usd . Usually at the even dividend. C6000 IS 12.00
C10000 IS 20.00 ETC.
Is it cheaper to pay in colones?
Sorry, I’m slow in the numbers depth
Sammi says
Hi Jennifer, they need to change that because it’s not accurate. 10,000 colones is not $20, it’s around $17 so I would pay in colones, you’ll be losing money with dollars if that’s how they are going to charge.
Dong says
It’s good to know that one can withdraw both Colones and Dollars from the ATM. But which is a better deal? I am thinking that dollars may not needs currency conversion.
Sammi says
Either one is fine since the bank will use the accurate currency exchange rate for that day and it does also depend on your own bank if they have an exchange fee.
Lori says
Thank you for all of this info! I’m heading to Costa Rica later this month and this post was very handy. 🙂
Sammi says
You’re welcome, glad it was useful and have a great time!