Costa Rica travel costs
Last updated: 03.09.24
Discover the “Pura Vida” in the tropical paradise of Costa Rica. This stunning country offers amazing adventures, breathtaking nature and adorable wildlife like sloths.
If this Central American gem isn’t on your bucket list yet, it’s time to reconsider!
Before you pack your bags and head off to explore this charming country, I will help you understand what to expect in terms of expenses in Costa Rica. Understanding the cost breakdown of a trip to Costa Rica can hopefully give you an idea of the Costa Rica prices and help you create a realistic Costa Rica budget for your own trip.
We spent 3 weeks in La Fortuna, which is located in scenic landscapes with majestic volcano views, hot springs, beautiful waterfalls and the chance to spot cute sloths in the forest.
In this travel blog post I will share cost transparency to make it easier for you to create a travel budget for your visit to Costa Rica. I have divided the Costa Rica travel costs into these categories:
- Cost of accommodation in Costa Rica
- Cost of transportation in Costa Rica
- Cost of food in Costa Rica
- Cost of experiences in Costa Rica
- Other costs in Costa Rica
- Total costs in Costa Rica
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
After booking our accommodation, we entered into a collaboration with the property. However we had already committed to a 3 week stay before finalizing any partnership. This recommendation remains entirely genuine.
Costa Rica travel costs
Here is what we spent per person for 3 weeks in La Fortuna, Costa Rica:
Cost of accommodation in Costa Rica
Accommodation price: $1295 – $62 per day
This covers a 3 week stay in La Fortuna including some tips. We stayed in a nice room at Selina La Fortuna. If you’re a digital nomad like us, Selina La Fortuna is an exceptional choice. With its fantastic coworking space, free activities and relaxing pool area, it’s designed with your digital nomad lifestyle in mind. For anyone planning a visit to La Fortuna you can check the availability here.
We also spent one night at an airport hotel, but we only paid for that with IHG points as IHG members.
Explore the best deals in Costa Rica and secure your accommodation today on Booking.com.
Cost of transportation in Costa Rica
Transportation price: $129 – $6 per day
This covers transportation from the airport to La Fortuna and back. We used two different shuttle services. From the airport we booked a private shuttle service through Booking.com and paid approximately $140 for the transfer.
For the return trip from La Fortuna to the airport we used a shared shuttle service called Interbus, which cost around $84.
The transportation costs also include a few small taxi and Uber trips (before we discovered that Uber is illegal in Costa Rica).
This is WITHOUT our flight tickets to Costa Rica from Peru – For those we paid: $298 per person.
Cost of food in Costa Rica
Food: $722 – $34 per day
This covers both grocery shopping and dining out. We didn’t prepare any homemade meals in Costa Rica.
We had breakfast every morning at our accommodation.
Tip to keep your food budget down in Costa Rica: You can get free water at restaurants.
Example of prices for two people:
- Pizza: $37
- Indian food: $73
- Ice cream: $9
- Lunch empanadas: $19
- Local dinner: $20
Cost of experiences in Costa Rica
Experiences: $127 – $6 per day
This includes entrance fees to a self guided sloth tour, Tabacon Hot Springs and La Fortuna waterfall (yes you pay to see this waterfall, which makes Costa Rica pricier compared to many other countries where such experiences are free).
Prices for two people:
- Observe sloths at Bogarin trail (self guided tour): $36
- Tabacon Hot Springs: $178
- La Fortuna waterfall: $40
Ideas for free activities in La Fortuna: Observe Arenal Volcano from the distance (paid tours are also available) and visit El Salto (a waterfall and rope swing).
I’m always thrilled to discover and book activities through Viator. If you’re seeking inspiration for things to do in Costa Rica, Viator is a fantastic resource to explore.
Other costs in Costa Rica
Other: $26 – $1 per day
This includes the cost of an eSIM, a haircut for Nicko and some laundry.
We typically use an eSIM when we are traveling outside of Europe because it’s very convenient. You don’t have to search for a physical shop to buy a local SIM card and at the same time you ensure you don’t lose your regular SIM card. It’s probably not the cheapest way to stay connected, but it is easy to use. We always use Airalo and in Costa Rica we paid $22 for 3 GB.
If you’re interested in buying an Airalo eSIM send me a message by mail or instagram and I will let you know if I have a discount code you can use at the moment.
Total costs in Costa Rica
Total: $2299 – $109 per day
Costa Rica is definitely not a cheap destination, but it’s a beautiful country. We definitely enjoyed our 3 weeks there.
You can always travel the country on a tighter budget or in more luxury than we did. If you want to keep your costs down in Costa Rica, try not to eat as much out as we did.
I hope this gives you a better understanding of costs in Costa Rica. Keep in mind that prices can vary depending on the season and individual preferences. Best of luck planning your trip and budget – Wishing you an amazing trip in Costa Rica!
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