Is Costa Rica Expensive to Travel? Costa Rica Travel Costs

How much does a trip to Costa Rica cost? Is Costa Rica expensive to visit?

Since Costa Rica is known for being fairly expensive, cost is a legitimate concern. Many people wonder exactly how much is the cost of traveling in Costa Rica and how much they’ll spend on their vacation.

Here is our detailed guide breaking down the Costa Rica travel costs.

Read about the costs of food, activities, transportation, lodging and other things, for an idea of how much your Costa Rica travel expenses will be.

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Is Costa Rica Expensive for Tourists?

Even though Costa Rica is in Central America, one of the biggest misconceptions about Costa Rica is that it is a cheap country.

Do not expect prices to be like Southeast Asia or Mexico. Costa Rica is one of the most expensive countries in Central and South America for living and traveling.

Costa Rice Travel Costs: Flights

Thanks to a lot of airlines opening new flights into Costa Rica, you can find very reasonable flights to Costa Rica with competitive prices to both of the international airports in Costa Rica.

Flights normally run around $500-900 USD roundtrip depending on your origin destination and time of travel.

For example, Seattle – Liberia is around $650-800 USD normally with Alaska Air.

Sometimes you can find flight deals for $500 roundtrip from Seattle during the off season with a saver fare.

The cheapest time to fly to Costa Rica is May, September and October. The most expensive times are December through April. July can sometimes be expensive.

After American Thanksgiving to mid-December and the first couple weeks of January after the New Years, are usually cheaper times to fly to Costa Rica.

Tips for Finding the Cheapest Airfare to Costa Rica

Sign up to your preferred airline’s mailing list because they’ll send promos to their email subscribers first.

Set up alerts on Google Flights, so they will notify you when your interested flight has increased or decreased in price.

Get a travel rewards credit card, if you don’t have your preferred airline’s credit card. Since my family is in Washington state, I am an Alaska Air member and I have their credit card.

Check both Guanacaste Airport and San Jose International airport. The Guanacaste Airport is generally a tad more expensive than San Jose…sometimes.

Find out which international airport in Costa Rica to fly into for your itinerary.

Read more on how to get cheap flights to Costa Rica in this post!

Costa Rica Travel Costs: Hotels

In Costa Rica, we have all sorts of accommodation.

We have everything from standard hotels, camping sites, glamping resorts, hostels, tree houses, boutique lodges, birding lodges and all inclusive resorts.

Depending on what your budget is and what kind of vacation you want, you can spend as low as $25 a night to $500 a night per person.

Average Prices for Hotels in Costa Rica

• Hostels: ~$25 for one bed in a dorm. Not guaranteed to have hot water or AC, usually no breakfast included. If you want air conditioning, usually you will need to upgrade to a private room or pay an extra fee.
• Budget hotel: ~$75 for one room, two people. This includes a private room with hot water, air conditioning and private bathroom. Usually includes hot breakfast.
• Mid-range hotel: $90-250. Mid range hotels usually include hot breakfast, AC, hot water, Wi-Fi, cable, coffee maker, a mini fridge and basic bathroom amenities.
• High end hotel: Starting around $250 and up. These high end hotels usually have a great view, an on-site restaurant, hot water, hot breakfast included, fridge, coffee maker, full bathroom amenities and an infinity pool. Not all high end hotels are built the same – some are boutique and locally owned, some are international chains.
• All-inclusive resorts: Starting around $250 per person, all inclusive resorts have a variety of food choices from buffets to a la carte restaurants, multiple pools, night time entertainment, a gym, shopping center, child care, business center and day time activities.
• One week surf camp: $1000-8000 per person depending on the camp and what they include (meals, transportation, other activities, type of room, etc.)

Tips to Save Money on Accommodation

Travel during the off season. The cheapest months are May, June, September and October.

Like the hotel’s Facebook or Instagram. Many of them throw promotions exclusively on their social media platforms during low season.

Look on VRBO or Airbnb for self service rentals. Read our guide to using Airbnb in Costa Rica.

Use our Costa Rica hotel deals to save money! Below are our current promo codes.

Maquenque Eco Lodge in Boca Tapada: Save 5% using our promo code mytanfeet. Read our full review of Maquenque Eco Lodge.
Hotel Poco a Poco, Monteverde Country Lodge and Sibu Lodge: Save 5% using our promo code mytanfeet
Adventure Inn (by SJO Airport): Save 10% with our promo code mytanfeet

Read more tips on finding accommodation in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Travel Costs: Transportation

Read our detailed guide to get around Costa Rica.

Public transportation: The bus system in Costa Rica is very wallet friendly though not always super timely or convenient.

Read our tips for taking public transportation in Costa Rica here.

Taxis: A good option for short trips, not for long ones. Make sure they use the meter. Tips on taking a taxi in Costa Rica.

Uber: Uber is in the Central Valley cities and some touristic destinations.

Shuttles: Shared and private shuttles in Costa Rica are a good way to get around with door to door hotel service. Get 10% off your Interbus shared shuttle!

Car rental: Renting a car in Costa Rica can get very expensive but it gives you the most freedom and flexibility.

Flying: There are a couple domestic airlines such as Sansa and Green. Depending on the time of year and route, flights range from about $70-$250 one way per person.

Tips for Saving Money on Transportation in Costa Rica

The cheapest way to get around Costa Rica is to take the public bus but not everyone wants to or can take the public bus.

The bus limits you to where you can stay and it can be very complicated depending on your routes.

If you rent a car, pick destinations and hotels that do not require a 4wd. A sedan is much cheaper than a 4wd.

If you can drive a stick, rent a manual as they are a tiny bit cheaper than automatic cars, but you must be a proficient manual driver.

You can also combine methods of transportation. Some people will bus or take a shared shuttle to their destinations, and then rent a car for just a couple of days.

If you plan to rent a car, make sure to take advantage of our Costa Rica car rental discount and extra freebies to help you save some $$!

Costa Rica Travel Costs: Tours

If you want to do something like ziplining, white water rafting or sailing, you need to book a tour.

You can skip tours if you’re on a tight budget but the trip may not be as fulfilling. I personally think it is worth it to do at least one tour, at least your “bucket list” experience.

Average Cost of Tours in Costa Rica

Most tours include roundtrip transportation, entrance fees and bilingual guide. Full day tours (5+ hours) usually include a meal.

These are estimated prices and may not reflect current present prices of the day. Please do your own research for the most updated rates as prices change depending on the size your group, your pick up location, the time of year and if you want a private or shared service. Prices are quoted in USD and may not include all taxes and fees.

• Ziplining: $70-100 per person.
• 1 day white water rafting Class 3 & 4: $120 per person including lunch.
• 4 hr sunset sailing: $75-115 per person including lunch, snacks, drinks and snorkel equipment.
• Half day sport fishing: $500 including equipment, snacks (depending on type of boat)
• 2 tank certified dive: $120 per adult
• Canyoning (waterfall rappel): $120 per person.
• National Park entrance fee: $5-$18 per foreign adult.
• Guided hike with transportation and guide: $75 per person
• 2 hour group surf lesson: $60 per person including board rental.
• Horseback riding: $60-90 per person depending on the length and location.

Tips for Saving Money on Tours

For big groups, ask for a group discount or for group prices (usually 6+).

If you have your own form of transportation (car rental), you can do self guided hikes and walks.

For example, you can drive yourself to Rincon de la Vieja National Park, pay the national park fee and do a self guided hike to the waterfall.

Find cheap/free things to do in Costa Rica.

For example, check out our 5 free things to do in Monteverde post to find cool local spots like the El Arbol Hueco.

Get our Costa Rica tours discount!

Mytanfeet offers discounts on tours in San Jose, La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio and Tortuguero.

We also offer individual discounts like Diamante Eco Adventure Park, Pure Trek canyoning, La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, The Springs hot springs day pass, Tortuga Island 1 day cruise, Pacuare River white water rafting and Vandara Explore Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Travel Costs: Food

Food costs vary in the country.

Touristic areas are no doubt more expensive than local or rural areas.

The average price for a typical Costa Rican lunch in a soda (typical local restaurant) located in a touristic beach town can be around 4500 CRC or $9 USD.

If you go to restaurants offering different types of cuisine, it is usually a bit more around 8000 CRC (~$16 USD).

Average Cost of Food in Costa Rica

• Local beer: ~$2.50 (1,250 CRC). Craft beer costs much more, around 4000 CRC per beer (~$7)
• Traditional breakfast: ~$7 (3,500 CRC)
• Traditional lunch: ~$9 (4,500 CRC)
• A 1750 ml bottle of water: ~$2.20 (1,200 CRC)

Tips for Saving Money on Food in Costa Rica

You can save money on food in Costa Rica by buying groceries and cooking your own meals if you have a kitchen. Read more about grocery stores in Costa Rica here.

Pro tip: buy local brands. Ignore American brands as they are very expensive.

One more option other than eating at local restaurants is to look for a bakery or panaderia. You can get empanadas, enchiladas and sandwiches for $1-2 USD each.

Additionally, book a hotel with hot breakfast included.

One more way to save money on food is by drinking the tap water.

Tap water in Costa Rica is safe to drink in most places. Just make sure to ask your hotels as some places in Costa Rica like Osa Peninsula and Tortuguero do not have drinkable tap water.

Bring an insulated water bottle as some hotels have water filling stations or you can ask the restaurant to fill up your water bottle.

Costa Rica Travel Costs: Souvenirs

You can find Costa Rica souvenir stores everywhere.

A t-shirt is around $25, a painted cup is around $15, a little trinket like a wooden toucan statue is around $15.

If you’re buying several items, you can usually get a discount if you’re paying in cash, around 10%.

For souvenirs, my personal recommendation is to look for artisanal items or made in Costa Rica only items to help support local businesses. They are not always super expensive either, and you will be supporting local businesses and the community.

Costa Rica Travel Costs: Tipping

Since Costa Rica is a touristic country, it is very much appreciated to tip something as a tourist even though typically in their culture, it is not mandatory.

The standard percentage to tip is 10%.

Learn more about tipping in Costa Rica.

Overall Costa Rica Travel Costs

Here is an idea of what your trip will be like according to a very general budget (not including airfare) per person:

$50 a day: Travel very minimally. Sleep in a bed in a dorm, eat at bakeries or local restaurants. No tours.

$75-$100 a day: Private room/budget hotel, have a couple beers, take a tour or surf lesson or two.

$150-175 a day: Nice mid-range hotel, a few tours and renting a car. Includes meals at places other than sodas and more cocktails or even some craft beer.

$200-375: Very nice hotel or resort, guided tours, renting a car or hiring a private shuttle and dinners at more expensive restaurants.

$400 and up: At this price, you can stay at an all-inclusive or a very upscale, luxury resort, having nice dinners, booking private transportation and booking many tours.

Handling Money and Prices

USD is readily accepted in Costa Rica in touristic destinations. Items in tourism are quoted in USD. These are tours, hotels and shuttles. Even some souvenir stores quote their prices in USD.

Read more about handling money in Costa Rica in this post.

So there you have it, the breakdown of costs of traveling in Costa Rica and you have a better idea of how much a trip to Costa Rica costs.

For more of an idea, check our 1 week Costa Rica travel budget breakdown to see how much we spent.

Want to read more Costa Rica travel tips? Here you go!

Best mosquito repellent

Packing list for Costa Rica

Tips for driving in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Vacation Checklist

• First time to Costa Rica? Read our First Time in Costa Rica guide.
• Not sure how to move around Costa Rica? Read our How to Get Around Costa Rica guide to find the best transportation method for you.
• Click the link to get our detailed Costa Rica Packing List so you know what essential items to bring.
• Check our Costa Rica destinations map and Costa Rica restaurant map
• Do not forget to purchase Travel Insurance for your trip to Costa Rica.
• Stay connected by purchasing a prepaid SIM Card in Costa Rica.
• Save money with Mytanfeet Deals for tours and hotels and our Costa Rica Car Rental Discount.

Join our mailing list and get our free Costa Rica eBook!