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, from food, activities, transportation, lodging and more for an idea of how much your Costa Rica travel expenses will be.
This post has affiliate links which we may earn a small commission from if you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. Any prices listed may not reflect current pricing. It is the readers responsibility to research current pricing. Prices are quoted in USD. More info: Disclosure
Is Costa Rica Expensive for Tourists?
Even though Costa Rica is in Central America, one of the biggest misconceptions 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.
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 even find flight deals for $500 roundtrip from Seattle during the off season.
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 a little expensive.
I recommend signing up to your preferred airline’s mailing list because they’ll send promos to their email subscribers first.
Since my family is in Washington state, I am an Alaska Air member and I have their credit card.
Tips for Finding the Cheapest Airfare to Costa Rica
- Try to be flexible on your dates. Google Flights has a calendar to see prices and you can sign up for alerts. Some low season dates with cheap airline tickets are after Thanksgiving to mid December, January after New Years, September and October.
- Check both Guanacaste Airport and San Jose International airport. The Guanacaste Airport is generally a tad more expensive than San Jose but comparison shop first because it’s not always more expensive. You can read this post to see which international airport in Costa Rica to fly into for your itinerary.
- Sign up to Dollar Flight Club. This website finds cheap flights and mistake fares. They occasionally have some to Costa Rica and Central America.
- Basic economy (saver fare): all airlines are offering a type of basic economy ticket price. It’s the cheapest fare but with limitations like no choosing seats, board very last, etc.
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.
- Basic/budget hotel: $75 for one room, two people. This includes a private room with hot water, AC and private bathroom. Some may also have private rooms with shared bathrooms.
- 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
- Many standard hotels in Costa Rica include a hot breakfast in the rate so you can save some money on food
- Travel during the off/rainy season (generally May to November). However, the first and second week of July is considered high season because the schools have two weeks off for mid summer break. August to October doesn’t see many US/Canadians but it is a popular time for Europeans on the Caribbean side. September and October are the cheapest months since they are the lowest months in tourism.
- 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 rentals. You can find many apartments/condos/rooms for a similar or cheaper price and you can save money by cooking and eating in. Read our guide to using Airbnb in Costa Rica
- Use our Costa Rica hotel deals to save money! Check our deals page here for the promo codes.
Best Hotel Booking Sites for Costa Rica
First, check the hotel’s direct website. Sometimes hotels will offer promos for those booking directly. If not, compare prices with various websites and take note of the various cancellation policies and details of each room/reservation.
Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com are very common in Costa Rica. Nearly all hotels are on those booking sites. But some boutique ones aren’t, so we recommend to check on Google Maps and click around their Hotel options.
Read more tips on finding accommodation in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica Travel Costs: Transportation
There are a few ways to get around Costa Rica.
- Public transportation: The bus system in Costa Rica is very wallet friendly though not always super timely or convenient. You can hop on a city bus for 500 colones across town or cross the country for around ~5,00 colones.
- 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. We’ve never had a problem calling one at 4 AM in Heredia to go to San Jose International Airport
- 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. Do your research to see what kind of car you need for your trip and the total price you’ll pay.
- A one week car rental for a 4 door automatic sedan can run around $500 with mandatory insurance and an automatic mid size 5 pax 4wd SUV can run around $1100 a week with mandatory insurance. Prices vary depending on time of year, type of transmission, insurances, fees, taxes and extras which are not reflected in the examples above.
- 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
Unfortunately, there’s not a whole you can do on saving money in this aspect. The cheapest way to get around Costa Rica is to take the public bus but not everyone wants to take the public bus. It can limit you to where you can stay and 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 if you don’t want to rent a car for the entire period. Some people will bus or 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. I always tell visitors that you can skip tours if they’re on a tight budget but the trip may not be as fun or fulfilling. It’s always worth it to do at least one tour.
Average Cost of Tours in Costa Rica
Most tours include roundtrip transportation, entrance fees and bilingual guide. Full day tours usually include a meal.
These are estimated prices and may not reflect current present prices of the day. We encourage you to research for quotes for the most updated rates as prices may fluctuate 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: $85-129 per person including lunch.
- Sunset sailing: $75-115 per person for a half day tour which includes 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
- Combo adventure tour (zipline, horseback riding, lunch, mud baths, hot springs, tubing): $120 without transportation and guide, $160-220 per adult with transportation and guide.
- Canyoning (waterfall rappell): $120 per person.
- National Park entrance fee: $6-$18 per foreign adult.
- Guided hike with transportation and guide: $75 per person depending on the destination.
- 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, Tortuguero and Guanacaste. We also offer individual discounts for adventure parks and activities like Rainforest Adventures Braulio Carrillo, Hacienda El Viejo, Diamante Eco Adventure Park, Vista Los Sueños 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 are in the cities or more rural areas, eating out is cheaper than the touristic places.
Average Cost of Food in Costa Rica
- A smoothie: ~$1.50 (800 colones). A milkshake or special fruit smoothie can be a bit more (2000 CRC).
- 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 actually safe to drink in most locations. Just make sure to ask your hosts as some places in Costa Rica like Osa Peninsula and Tortuguero do not have drinkable tap water.
Bring your own insulated water bottle to always have cold water with you. Some hotels will offer bottled water that you can fill up with.
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%.
A cheap place for souvenirs is the supermarkets. Many supermarkets in Costa Rica like Maxi Pali have their own small “souvenir” section with cute Costa Rica trinkets and other things. How authentic it is though, is a different question.
At the end of it, when it comes to souvenirs, my recommendation is to look for arsenal items or made in Costa Rica only items to help support local businesses, even if it does cost a bit more.
Costa Rica Travel Costs: Tipping
Read all about tipping in Costa Rica. 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%.
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, you have to travel minimally. Sleep in a bed in a dorm or cheap hotel, eat at bakeries or local restaurants and walk around the beach. No tours.
$75-$100 a day upgrade to a private room in a hostel, have a couple beers, take a tour or surf lesson or two.
$150-175 a day, you’re looking at a 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, you’re looking at a 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 will probably be staying 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 are readily accepted in Costa Rica and items in tourism are quoted in USD. These are tours, hotels and shuttles. Even some souvenir stores quote their prices in USD. You can 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!
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.
Sammi says
Hi Sari, there are a lot of tours you can do that aren’t too crazy. There are a lot of easy and short hikes in Costa Rica (there aren’t that many long hard hikes), nature walks in the national parks, boat rides and safari floats to see wildlife and local towns you can sightsee. Some recommendations that come to the top of my head are these:
La Fortuna river safari float wildlife watching tour
Palo Verde National Park wildlife watching boat ride
Hacienda Baru: they have an electric chair that goes through the forest
Rainforest Adventures Atlantic: they have a really nice aerial tram, hummingbird garden and easy hiking trails
Things to do in San Jose: best place for museums and culture
Tortuguero National Park: wildlife watching boat rides through the national park
Zarcero: cute local town with a church and topiary gardens
sari goldman says
Hola,
Thank you for the wonderful info. We are in our late 70’s. in good health and active( not for zip lining) What can you recommend for people our age. We are past the long hikes stage. Love museums, animals, beautiful sights, ethnic food and people of all ages. All help would be appreciated. Most tours are geared to eco adventures and thrills. We can spend weeks if needed. country looks beautiful.
Sari
Angela says
Hi MyTanFeet!
Love your blog–most informative one that I can find re: Costa Rica 🙂 My husband and I are headed to CR for 5 nts in a few weeks. How much should we expect to pay for a massage? And is this negotiable too?
TIA! Pura Vida!
Sammi says
Hi Angela, it will depend where you get your massage. If you go to a resort like Hilton or Westin or a high end hotel, massages can get pretty like $100 or more depending on the type. If you go to a spa or beauty salon, it could be around $60 an hour. If you go to the beach and get a massage from a local, it is around $35 for an hour so it all depends.
Sammi says
Hi Colleen, the water in the hot springs in Arenal are either natural (Tabacon, Nayara) or it goes through a filtration process, it depends on which facility you go to. Water quality in the touristic areas is usually pretty good, for washing clothes I don’t see or know of any problems from that. As for drinking tap water, it is safe in touristic areas and cities, you can bring a filter if you have a sensitive stomach though.
Colleen Dunaway says
Hello! We are going next month to Tamarindo, Arenal, and Manuel Antonio. I have a question regarding the hot springs and the safety of the water. I know that some springs have bacteria and can cause some trouble. Also, we are renting houses that have washers. Can you speak to the hot springs and bacteria in the Arenal area and the washers?
Nadia says
Hey Sammi,hey yeison,
first of all I really love reading your blog,it helped me a lot planning our trip to Costa Rica .
In this article I saw your recommendation for the Canyon de la Vieja Lodge. During our trip we stayed there for 2 nights and it was by far the worst accommodation we had on our trip. People are really nice ther I will not doubt that,but the lodges had their best times long ago..
Our lodge was not clean at all..the bed had stains I don’t really want to know what it was. The whole area seemed as if nobody really cares about and the breakfast also was prepared halfhearted.
I just wanted to let you know..
Yours Nadia from Germany
Sammi says
Hi Nadia, thanks for your feedback! We went there in 2014 and that’s unfortunate to hear about the hotel because it wasn’t like that when we went :/ it is in a nice location and they have great activities on site but the rooms did seem like they needed more tlc. Thanks for the update and I’ll be sure to include it in the post.
Anne says
Hi
Leaving in 7 days for a 2 week trip. So excited 🙂
Do you recommend I take US or Colones?
If I pay US, will they give the change in Colones or US?
Thanks for the tips!!! Your blog has been very helpful while planning our trip!
Sammi says
Hi Anne, you don’t need to exchange currency to colones before your trip, USD are readily accepted in Costa Rica. You can use USD at the supermarket, restaurant, souvenirs shops and they will give you your change back in colones.
Pip says
Hi!
We love the article, excellent advice! By contacting hotels directly and making a reservation directly on their website, you are helping small independent business and not a global company such as booking.com to which they have to pay commission. Perhaps you could recommend people to check directly on the hotel website as a growing number of hotels do actually have their own reservation systems with secure methods to store credit card information, and by supporting them you are keeping more of your tourist dollar within Costa Rica!
Cory says
Hello !
I am traveling to Manuel Antonio solo traveling . Staying at hostel Selena Antonia . Hostel got great reviews .
I like to party and drink and eat. Just wanna sit at the beach relax meet some people and explore the country side maybe do a waterfall adventure of some sort . I’m on a tight budget arriving around 1pm to San Jose .
My plan is to try and share a cab to the bus terminal then take bus to the hostel, is that recommended ?
Also little concerned about the cost of food and drinks, perhaps I can get some groceries from a market and they have a kitchen at hostel. Plus hostel offers breakfast every day for 5$ extra .
I just hope eating will not be really expensive as I want to spend 2-300 for the 7 days I’m there (not including my accommodations) I want to know if this is a reasonable budget ? Any advise would be much appreciated !! Thank you!
Sammi says
You can take Uber if you have Internet in San Jose (cheaper than a taxi) and then grab a bus to Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is not a cheap destination since it’s super touristic so you may find it to be too expensive for your budget.
Sammi says
Since your budget is $70 a day per person, you can rent a car but you’d have to rent a smaller car like the compact ones to stay within your budget. I don’t know if you guys are staying at hostels or hotels or where you guys are, but in most touristic areas like Manuel Antonio or Fortuna, the roads are well paved and maintained so you can get around with a sedan or compact, you won’t need a 4×4. Manuel Antonio National Park is an easy to get to, convenient and very pretty national park as well as Arenal Volcano and Poas. There is good hiking at those places and Manuel Antonio has beaches too (here is our guide Manuel Antonio National Park). Most national parks that are easy to get to are touristic but since you have a strict budget that doesn’t really have any room to rent a 4×4 or take tours, it’ll be hard to get to the less touristic ones like Corcovado National Park.
Beth says
I want to spend a month near the beach and jungle learning Spanish. I would like to hang out with expats to see if I want to move there in 2 years. I’m in my mid 50’s very active and a school teacher. I might teach English a little while I’m there. I will travel solo, but want to connect with expat groups.
California Female.
Sammi says
Sounds like a great plan! Have a great time Beth!
Kris says
Is there a bank in Tamarindo where we can pay our exit tax before going to the airport? I heard the airport line can be very long.
Sammi says
Hi Kris, the exit tax has been included in airplane tickets for awhile now so if you bought your ticket within the last year, the exit tax should be included. There is a large bulletin board inside the airport that will say which tickets need to pay it and since the exit tax has been included in tickets, the line is pretty much empty now.
rosetta says
Greeting Samantha,
Love your Blog! It’s a wealth of helpful information.
I’ll be traveling to Playas Del Coco for the month of February, and would like to book a few tours. One of which is the day or overnight trip to Nicaragua. I see that I might possibly be able to book through you. Could you also help me arrange other tours. I enjoy beach, zip lining, hot springs, national parks, yoga, local festivals, social gathering spots. I was there last March for a couple of weeks, so I have a little bit of familiarity. However, I’ll be traveling solo, this time, and want to ensure a safe, fun time.
Thank you.
Sammi says
Hi Rosetta, I just sent you an email 🙂
Sammi says
Hi Karla, here’s our post on things to do in Guanacaste:
Karla says
We are headed there in February and I am enjoying reading your tips. We have no idea what to expect. We are only there for 3 full days. Are there any recommendations you can give me on a must do? We are not the zip line, water rafting type:) It is an all expense paid vacation other than personal expenses. We are staying in Guanacaste.
Katerina says
Hi Sam, tried to checked into airbnb and claim your $35 but not sure how it works.can you pls direct me?Thank you,just made some reservation but not ure how to claim friends referral fee.
Sammi says
Hi Katerina, you have to sign up with a new account when you click this link: https://www.airbnb.com/c/sw39 ($20 credit, Airbnb controls how much the credit is) so unfortunately if you already made an account and reservation, you won’t be able to get the credit. It’s for new sign ups so you’ll have to make a new account.
Lauren says
Do you have any suggestions for hiring a private driver? We would love to just relax and enjoy the country while someone else navigates.
Sammi says
Hi Lauren, hiring a private driver is a great way to relax and not have to worry about driving. You want to go with a bigger tour/transportation company as they cover more of the country, Jacamar is an excellent one as they have offices and shuttles throughout all of Costa Rica.
Evelyn Slater-Shew says
This is THEE most helpful article I have seen on Costa Rica…period. I truly appreciate you posting this! I am going in December! 😀
Sammi says
Thank you Evelyn! I put a lot of time into the post so glad to hear it is helpful. Hope you have an awesome time in CR 🙂
Marissa & Alain says
My husband and I just came back from a 16 day tour in Costa Rica, we enjoyed it very much and your tips are really very helpful. Thanks for accepting me as your mytantfamily .. We will for sure come back . People are so friendly, fruits are so fresh except the road we took . It was unpaved, long and winding road, I guess we missed the turn and ended up climbing on the top of the mountain .. Overall it was an adventure that we will always treasure .
Thanks to you Sam and yieson for the helpful advise !
Sammi says
So happy to hear you had a great time! Also glad the blog is helpful! Thanks for being a loyal reader 🙂
Evelyn says
Hi
Considering I already have tours and hotels paid, and 3 tour already includes breakfast and lunch, so the money is going to be only for food, drinks and some souvenirs…
How much money do you think I’ll need?
Thanks!
yeison says
It all depends where you go to eat and drink there are cheap an expensive places every where you go, you can pay $6 for a “casado” in a Costa Rica Restaurant or you can go to a tourist fancy place and pay $50 for lunch. It is hard to say how much you will spend. Most of the places here take credit cards.
Steph of Big World Small Pockets says
I love Central America, one reason being it’s still so cheap to travel there. If you’re coming from Europe however, airfares can be expensive. However, a great tip for bringing this cost down is to look for flights with companies that deal with package holiday groups a lot – they often sell off spare seats at ridiculously cheap prices. JetBlue are a great airline in this respect and I’ve heard of many people getting crazy bargains on flight from UK-Liberia
Sammi says
Jetblue is a great airline! I know that Thompson has been throwing promos and direct flights from the UK to Liberia, we’ve been seeing a lot more British people here recently. More flights are opening up from everywhere, I think there is even direct flights from Spain!
scott says
Thanks for posting these are all tips helpful!
Sammi says
You’re welcome!
Madi says
I am definitely pinning this for later. I’ve been dying to get to Costa Rica and am planning a trip in the next year or so. Thanks for posting these are all incredibly helpful!
Sammi says
Hi Madi! You’re very welcome and glad to hear it is helpful!