How To Travel Costa Rica on a Budget

There are 3 things that every trip to Costa Rica has in common. You need to sleep somewhere, you need to eat and you are coming to do activities! Costa Rica is not a cheap country, but that doesn`t mean you can`t enjoy everything it has to offer without spending an arm and a leg!  In this article, you will learn 3 simple ways to travel Costa Rica on a budget.

Costa Rica is one of those countries that you can travel and have a really local experience. It`s not like traveling to countries like Mexico where it`s best to just stay inside your all-inclusive resort. There are thousands of vacation rentals available all over the country giving you the opportunity to stay right in a local neighborhood and have a more authentic experience. Also, staying at an Airbnb rental allows you to have your own kitchen which leads me to the next tip…

Cook at Home:  When you stay at a vacation rental vs a hotel, you will have your own kitchen and can save a ton of money by preparing meals at home. Food in general is expensive in Costa Rica (comparable to US prices and in many cases higher), so the more meals you can prepare yourself, the more of a budget traveler you will be!

Eat Out Like a Local: Now, I understand eating out at restaurants is something that most people enjoy doing while on vacation.  I know I do!  So this is not to say that you should eat all of your meals at home.  To save money eating out at restaurants, go to the local “sodas” which I can best describe as a “ma and pa” type feel of restaurant.  Sodas mostly serve casados (typical Costa Rican meal) for about $5-$7 each.  This price usually includes a natural juice of your choice (my favorite is tamarindo).  Nothing hits the spot like a good casado!

Shop Like a Local:  The main supermarket where the locals shop is called Maxi Pali.  Think of this like a Walmart (they are actually owned by Walmart in fact).  Maxi Pali stores are all over the country and you can stock up on groceries for your trip.  Keep in mind they mostly carry local brands.  If you are looking for American brands, you will need to go to a touristy supermarket (names vary depending on the town).   For example, in Manuel Antonio, at the tourist supermarkets (Super Joseth and Super Pura Vida) you can find many American brands that you are used to from home, but the prices are significantly higher than what you are used to paying. A regular size jar of peanut butter costs something around $16 to give you an idea of how outrageous the prices can be.   For produce, go to the weekly local farmer`s market (la feria).

Alcohol:  This one is simple.  Buy liquor at the airport, duty free!  Buy beer and wine at the local supermarket!

Traveling Costa Rica on a budget does not mean you have to miss out on all the cool places to see and things to do!  This is where knowing a local or making friends with one really comes in handy. You can research online all day for cheap things to do, but nothing is quite as valuable as that personal conversation with a local! Also, Costa Ricans are so friendly that if you ask your new local friend where you can rent bikes, for example, if he has one, he will probably lend it to you for free!

Here`s a perfect example of what I mean… Nauyaca Waterfall is about 45 minutes away from Manuel Antonio and is one of the must do activities if you visit this area.  A guided tour is around $130 per person (includes roundtrip transportation and lunch)….so if you`re traveling with a group of 4 people, that is $520 to go to the waterfall.  Or, you can just rent a car for the day ($50- $60) to get there, pay the entrance fee ($8 pp), pack some snacks and hike to the waterfall by yourself.  That takes your $520 waterfall adventure down to less than $100 for your group of four.

Now, please don`t get too crazy and think that you can do every activity by yourself, nor should you! You do not want to miss out on the awesome tours that this country has. Costa Rica really has their act together when it comes to tours (world class safety standards and tour guides) and there are many activities that you absolutely need to do in a group tour like zip line, rafting or catamaran for example.

But no matter where you go in the country, there will always be activities and places to explore on your own. The trick is to do your research and talk to locals to find out where these hidden gems are and how to get to them. Have fun!