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Money in Costa Rica, sorted.
A calm, current plan for the money side of your trip: the dollar works almost everywhere here, but knowing when to reach for colones instead is what keeps a little extra in your pocket.
The three things people ask
Will my card work? Do I need cash? Are ATMs easy?
The quick read for a first trip.
Your card
Widely accepted, even rurally
Visa and Mastercard work at hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, tour offices and even highway tolls. Amex is taken at high-end spots but less widely. The exceptions are cash-only pockets like Tortuguero, Drake Bay and parts of the Osa and Nicoya peninsulas, plus the odd rural machine that loses its internet signal.
Check yours →Cash
Two currencies, used differently
Dollars cover tourist services and bigger purchases; colones are better for sodas, markets, taxis, buses and toll booths. Bring small US bills (twenties and under) in pristine condition, since torn or worn notes are routinely refused, and you'll get change in colones.
How much to bring →ATMs
Easy, some fee-free
Bank ATMs are common outside the most remote areas and usually dispense both colones and dollars. Banco Nacional and BCR often charge foreign cards no access fee; others run about $3 to $6 per withdrawal. Choose colones, and decline the "convert to USD" prompt.
See ATMs in Costa Rica →(opens in a new tab)Cash or card
Cards go a long way, but cash still matters off the tourist track.
A rough feel for everyday spending. Cards work remarkably well in Costa Rica, even at small businesses and toll booths, but sodas, roadside stands, small towns and remote areas like the Osa Peninsula, Tortuguero and Santa Teresa often run on cash. Carry some of both currencies.
See what the trip really costs →Your money plan
Four steps and you're set.
Before you go
- Bring a no-foreign-fee credit or debit card for most spending, plus a backup card.
- Pack a stack of small US bills (ones, fives, tens, twenties) in perfect condition. Skip fifties and hundreds, which are hard to use outside banks.
- You do not need to buy colones before you travel. Pull them from an ATM on arrival at a better rate.
At the airport
- Skip the airport exchange counters, they have the worst rates in the country.
- Pull a little cash from a bank ATM (Banco Nacional or BCR if you can find one), choose colones, and decline "convert to USD."
- Withdraw a reasonable amount at once to limit per-withdrawal fees, but you won't need much up front since dollars work too.
Day to day
- Pay in the quoted currency: dollars for hotels, tours and shuttles; colones for sodas, markets, taxis and buses.
- Card for most things, including grocery stores and tolls. Keep cash for sodas, roadside stands and remote areas.
- Tip the guachiman (the vested person watching parked cars) a few hundred colones, it's a local custom.
- When paying by card, ask to be charged in colones to get your bank's rate, not the merchant's.
A golden rule
- Match the currency to the price tag. Paying dollars on a colón price (or vice versa) lets the seller pick the exchange rate, usually in their favor.
- On any card terminal or ATM, choose colones, never dollars, to dodge the dynamic-conversion markup of 3 to 8%.
Staying connected
Will my phone work here? And what will it cost?
Mostly, with real gaps in the wild places you came to see. The state carrier Kolbi (ICE) has by far the widest reach, including national parks, cloud forests and remote coasts where Liberty and Claro lose signal, so a Kolbi-backed eSIM is the safest bet. 4G is the everyday standard; 5G is only in the larger towns. Expect dead zones in places like Corcovado, deep Monteverde, the Osa Peninsula and stretches of the Caribbean coast, and download offline maps before heading off the main routes. WhatsApp is the default way local tour operators and lodges communicate, so set it up before you go. The cost is where people get caught out, and on most US plans it lands in one of two buckets.
Your plan may already include it
Often, do nothing
Some US plans include slow data abroad at no extra cost. If that is you, the honest move is to leave it alone.
we earn nothing
Or it charges quietly, after the fact
The bill lands later
On pay-per-use plans the cost runs in the background while you travel, and the charge can show up weeks after you are home. Forgetting to switch off data roaming is the classic one. For a week or more, an eSIM is usually cheaper and keeps you in control.
Check what your own carrier charges before the trip, not after.
If an eSIM is the cheaper call, Nomad covers Costa Rica.
Get your Nomad eSIM for Costa Rica→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionMedical cover
The one cost with no price tag.
Every other number on this page has a price you can look up. This one does not, and it can be the largest of them all. Most US health plans cover little or nothing once you leave the country, and Medicare covers essentially none of it abroad. A serious illness or injury is paid up front, and a medical evacuation runs from tens of thousands of dollars to past $100,000 if you are remote or an ocean from home.
First, you may not need to buy anything.
A cheap, refundable trip close to home does not need this. And if you are healthy, headed somewhere with good care, and one of the premium cards on the shortlist above already includes emergency medical and evacuation, you may be covered already. Check your card's benefits guide before you buy. Saying that costs us the commission, and it is still the right call.
How much cover matters here
Care in the main cities is good, but costs add up and reaching top care from a remote spot takes time, so it is worth a real look for a trip here.
If you do want cover, this is what it is for: the evacuation and the up-front hospital bill, the part no card limit is meant to absorb.
Enough for most trips
Faye, or a comparable whole-trip policy
Bundles trip protection with emergency medical, which is enough cover for most travelers on a typical trip.
The deeper end
A dedicated travel-medical plan built for serious care and evacuation abroad
Stronger on medical care and evacuation, for a remote or higher-risk trip where that is the real exposure.
If it happens
Call it first, then call your insurer's 24/7 assistance line, which is what confirms payment and arranges an evacuation. 911 has English-speaking operators. In rural areas and along the coast, an ambulance can take longer to reach you.
TrueTripCosts explains the gap and points to options. It does not set your coverage amounts or act as your insurance advisor, and every policy carries its own exclusions, so read them before you buy. Emergency number checked Jul 2026. Confirm the current number before you travel, as local lines can change.
Renting a car
Where the rental desk makes its money.
Renting is often the best way to see Costa Rica, and the cover is where the counter earns its margin. The rental comes with basic collision cover, but it leaves you owing the excess, the first slice of any damage or theft bill, often several hundred to a couple of thousand dollars, held on your card until the car is back. The desk will offer to erase that excess. It is a real product, just priced at the counter for far more than the same cover costs if you arrange it before you go.
You may not need to buy anything at all. Some US credit cards include rental collision cover when you pay with the card and decline the counter's version, so check what your own card covers on rentals before you add anything extra. We cannot read your policy for you, and flagging this can cost us the sale below, but it is the honest first step.
If your card does not cover it, or you would rather have cover built for this, a standalone policy bought ahead is the cheaper way to handle it. It covers the damage and theft the rental leaves you liable for, often including parts the counter cover leaves out like tires, glass and the underbody, and mechanical faults stay the rental company's problem. RentalCover covers rentals in Costa Rica. Read what the policy includes before you buy.
Cover a rental in Costa Rica with RentalCover→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionCurrency basics
The colón (and the dollar), in plain terms.
Quick conversion
About 453 colones to the dollar in mid-2026. To estimate dollars fast, halve the colón amount and drop the zeros: 10,000 colones is roughly 22 dollars. The symbol is the crossed C, the same shape as a cent sign.
Notes and coins
Colón notes run 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000, all colorful plastic featuring Costa Rican wildlife. Coins go from 5 to 500 colones. You'll often receive colones as change even when you pay in dollars.
Two currencies at once
The US dollar is an unofficial second currency: hotels, tours and shuttles are usually quoted in dollars, while sodas, markets and local services price in colones. Pay in whatever the price is quoted in for the fairest rate.
Service is already on the bill
Most sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge plus 13% VAT to the menu price by law. That covers the baseline tip, so an extra gratuity is only for standout service, not an obligation.
Real exchange rate
What your money is really worth here.
This is the mid-market rate, the one the banks trade at and the yardstick every other rate is measured against. Your card lands a little below it, and if a screen ever offers to bill you in dollars, that is worse again. So this is the number to expect, and how you spot a bad one.
1 US dollar is about 456 CRC
Taxes and service charges
No tourist tax, but two charges are baked into bills.
Costa Rica does not levy a per-night tourist or city tax. What you will see instead are two things. VAT (IVA) of 13% is included in displayed prices by law, so a shelf or menu price is usually what you pay. At sit-down restaurants, a 10% service charge is added on top of the food total, and the 13% tax is then calculated on the combined amount, so a menu price can rise by roughly 23% at checkout if neither was shown included. Some places fold both into the listed prices and note "impuestos incluidos"; others add them at the end. Because the 10% service charge already covers a baseline tip, you only need to add more for genuinely great service. There is no VAT-refund scheme for tourists in Costa Rica, so the 13% is simply part of the price.
Before you book: passports, the six-month rule and whether you need a visa. Not a US citizen, or connecting through Europe? The rules can differ, and even a layover can need its own visa. See our passports and visas guide →
Watch out for
The small traps that catch first-timers.
Tipping
Light, since 10% is usually already on the bill.
Tipping in Costa Rica is modest and often already handled. Most sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge by law, so you are not expected to tip again unless the service was exceptional, in which case an extra 5 to 10% is a kind gesture. Sodas and street stands do not expect tips. For guided tours, gratuities are genuinely appreciated and a real part of guides' income: roughly 10%, or about $5 to $15 per person per day for a naturalist or adventure guide, more for something outstanding. Private drivers often see $5 to $15 a day; for taxis, rounding up the fare is plenty. Hotel housekeeping and porters appreciate $1 to $2 a day or per bag, and it is customary to hand a guachiman (the vested person watching your parked car) a few hundred colones. Tip in colones where you can, since it spares staff an exchange.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Should I use US dollars or colones in Costa Rica?
Both work, but pay in whatever currency the price is quoted in. Hotels, tours and shuttles are usually priced in dollars, while sodas, markets, taxis and buses price in colones. Matching the currency avoids a made-up exchange rate that favors the seller. You'll often get colones as change even when you pay in dollars.
Do I need cash in Costa Rica?
Less than you might think, but yes for some situations. Cards work widely, even at small shops and toll booths, but sodas, roadside stands and remote areas like Tortuguero, Drake Bay and the Osa Peninsula are often cash only. Carry small US bills and some colones as backup.
What is the best ATM to use in Costa Rica?
Banco Nacional and BCR (Banco de Costa Rica) often charge foreign cards no access fee, while others run about $3 to $6 per withdrawal. Most ATMs dispense both colones and dollars. Choose colones, and always decline the "convert to USD" option to avoid the markup.
Do you tip in Costa Rica?
Lightly, because most restaurants already add a 10% service charge by law, which covers the baseline tip. Add a little more only for exceptional service. Tour guides and private drivers are the real exception: around 10%, or roughly $5 to $15 per person per day, is appreciated and forms part of their income.
Is there a tourist tax in Costa Rica?
No per-night tourist or city tax like much of Europe charges. Prices already include 13% VAT, and restaurant bills add a 10% service charge on top of the food total. There is no VAT refund for visitors, so the 13% is simply part of what you pay.
How much cash should I bring for a week in Costa Rica?
For two travelers, very roughly $300 to $500 across a week in small US bills, topped up with colones from an ATM as you go, alongside a no-fee card for most spending. Carry more cash if you're heading to remote, card-light areas like the Osa Peninsula or Tortuguero.
What it really costs
What you'll really spend in Costa Rica.
Your flights if you want them counted, your room, your on-the-ground spending, the two fees most US cards add without telling you, and Costa Rica's tourist tax. One number, nothing waiting on the statement. No bank to pick, no sign-up, nothing saved.
Optional. Enter your round trip fare per traveler to fold flights into the total.
In Costa Rica, plan for about $0.
Realistically somewhere between $0 and $0.
Whether at an ATM or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, always choose to be charged in the local currency, not dollars. Paying in dollars (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set its own, worse, exchange rate on top of any fee.
Rough guide, not a quote. The percentage here is a blended stand-in for a typical US card's foreign fee, not your exact rate. The real number moves with the card you carry: one no-foreign-fee card can cover both sides, while a plain rewards credit card only removes the fee on what you buy, and cash still costs a little unless that card also waives ATM and foreign-cash fees. A debit card, or accepting the "pay in dollars" (dynamic currency conversion) offer at a till or ATM, can push it higher. Rates checked Jun 2026 and rounded.
How this estimate is built
These are the assumptions behind the number. Change the room price, nights, travelers, or travel style above, and every line here moves with them.
- Hotel
- Daily spending
- Flights
- Cash vs card
- ATM withdrawals
- Foreign fee
- The range
- Tourist tax
Not sure which card to bring? See my pick for Costa Rica.
Already carry a card with no foreign transaction fee? Then you are set for Costa Rica, and can skip this. There is nothing to buy.
If you are getting a card for Costa Rica, this is the pairing I would pick: a no-foreign-fee credit card for spending, and a fee-free ATM debit card for cash. We earn nothing on these today. Always confirm the current fee with the issuer before you apply. Checked Jun 2026.
Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee on any of its cards.
No foreign transaction fee
Fee-free ATM cash worldwide
Want one account that holds and spends in the local currency? A different job from the three above, and the one I reach for abroad. It is free to open; you can create a virtual card in the app and add it to your phone wallet in minutes, without waiting for the physical card; and you can convert US dollars into the local currency inside the account before you travel, then spend from that balance. Wise uses the mid-market rate plus a small conversion fee (around 0.4% and up), with no flat foreign fee.
The three picks above pay us nothing, and their tags say so. Wise is the only option here that can earn us a commission, and its tag says that too. Paid or not, the pick is still the pick.
Travelers, not touristsA little Spanish goes a long way
A little Spanish goes a long way
A few words and a couple of stories that turn you from a tourist into a guest. Costa Ricans, Ticos, are warm and easygoing, and they light up when a visitor tries a little Spanish.
Say a few words
Tip: Pura vida (pure life) is the phrase that runs the country: it means hello, goodbye, thank you, no worries and all good, all at once. Use it and you are instantly on the same wavelength. Locals also call each other mae (dude) and say tuanis for cool.
Know a story
The painted oxcart
The carreta, a wooden oxcart hand-painted in bright swirling patterns, once hauled coffee down to the coast and is now a national symbol, protected by UNESCO. Traditionally each region had its own colors and design. You will see them everywhere, proud and gleaming.
Say it: carreta (kah-RREH-tah)
More life than almost anywhere
Costa Rica is a sliver of a country, yet it holds around five percent of all the species on Earth, and it protects roughly a quarter of its land in parks and reserves. Show that you came for the quetzals and cloud forests, not just the beach, and Ticos warm to you.
Good to know: about 5% of the world's species live here
The golden bean
Coffee built modern Costa Rica, and the highland beans are still called grano de oro, the golden bean. A cafecito is a daily ritual and a reason to pause and chat. Accept one when it is offered; it is how friendships start.
Say it: grano de oro (GRAH-noh deh OH-roh)Here is the one that stuns visitors: Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and has spent the savings on schools, health and nature ever since. No military, more teachers than soldiers, and a lot of pura vida.
No links here, nothing to buy. This part is just to help you travel well.
Sources, and how this guide was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
Changed since last checkSources added. Confirmed that VAT (IVA) is 13% and built into displayed prices, that sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge on top so a bill can run about 23% over the menu price, and that there is no per-night tourist or city tax. The US dollar is widely accepted, though paying in colones gives better value. The colon figure, about 455 to the dollar, is current.
- Costa Rica Travel Blogthe 13% VAT (IVA) explained
- Costa Rica Guidethe 10% restaurant service charge and tipping
Our own judgmentThe daily cash share, tipping norms, and likely ATM behavior are our own estimate from experience, not an official figure.
More money guides in the Americas
If you are also weighing up nearby destinations, each guide covers cards, cash, ATMs and the fees to expect.
Going deeper on Costa Rica
The money questions people ask on the ground.
Short, focused answers to the specific things that catch first-timers out in Costa Rica.
- Do I need cash in Costa Rica, or can I use cards?Short answer: cards work almost everywhere, dollars are accepted, but you get better value paying in colones, and you will want a little cash for sodas, buses and small vendors. Here is how to handle it.
- Staying connected in Costa RicaThe catch in Costa Rica is that the coverage gaps sit exactly where you came to go: the parks, the cloud forests and the wild coasts. Which network your eSIM uses is what decides whether you have signal in Corcovado or Monteverde, so it is worth getting right before you fly.
- Tipping in Costa RicaThe short version: most restaurant bills already include a 10% service charge, so the tipping is largely done for you. The people worth tipping extra are your guides and drivers, and the one trap to watch for is a blank tip line on a bill that has already charged you.
This is how Costa Rica stands today.
Money rules move. We can let you know for free if that changes.