Note: This post contains Amazon Affiliates links, which means that if you buy something through these links, I might get a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
TABLE OF CONTENT:
1. BUDGET
2. TIPS AND USEFUL FACTS ABOUT COSTA RICA
- Currency
- Prices
- Daylight vs. night time
- Tippping
- Weather
- Roads
- Getting cash from ATMs
BUDGET
When thinking about vacationing in the Caribbean or Central America, people tend to immediately assume ”cheap destination”. Well, that is not the case with Costa Rica. While it is still an affordable place to visit, it is far from being cheap. In fact, eating out, groceries, souvenirs are just as expensive as in the US. To help you figure out a budget for your vacation, I did a break down of our expenses for a family of four. However, I should note that a 10 day trip could be done on a smaller budget. We chose a luxury accommodation for La Fortuna (Baldi Hot Springs Resort for about $285/night, all taxes included), because we wanted to have access to hot springs every day.
But I also researched AirBnbs in the area and I found some really nice ones for around $100 – 150/night. That being said, for this area I would recommend booking a place that has hot springs on site, so you can enjoy them as much as possible. A highly reviewed, mid-range hotel that has hot springs on site is Arenal Spring Resort, which was around $180/night, breakfast included. All the rooms also have view of the volcano, which is a nice bonus, if you get lucky with the weather.
Another way to cut down on expenses is to chose free or cheaper activities. We spent the most on parasailing, zip lining and the ATV tour, but we would have had a really good time in Costa Rica just enjoying the beach and investing a little into jungle tours. In La Fortuna, there is also a free natural hot spring river, right across from Tabacon Hot Springs Resort. We didn’t go there, since we had access to hot springs at our resort, but I read great reviews about it.
Choosing the right accommodation for you is also very important. While we really enjoyed our stay at the luxurious Baldi, I actually have fonder memories of our AirBnb in Manuel Antonio, which was half the price/night. We had an amazing view of the jungle, the ocean and the pool, lots of animals (monkeys, birds, geckos, even a couple of sloths) hanging out right by our place and enough space to cook and eat most of our meals.
On New Years’ Eve every year, we recount our adventures with our kids and ask them questions about their favorite experiences. This year, when I asked them what their favorite memories of Costa Rica were, besides parasailing and zip lining, they said ”catching geckos by the pool with the suns” (our AirBnb), ”fighting the waves at the beach”, ”playing in the hot springs at night” – so that goes to prove that some of our kids’ favorite activities were either free or included in our stay.
TOTAL BUDGET – $ 7,500
- Flights $ 2,100
- Lodging (AirBnb in Manuel Antonio $ 660/4 nights, Baldi Resort in La Fortuna $ 1424/5 nights)
- Rental car (Adobe) $ 460
- Gas $ 70
- Activities and tours $ 1,230
- Food (groceries and restaurants) $ 1,105
- Miscellaneous (souvenirs, parking, drinks at the beach/resort, laundry) $ 260
- Covid tests $260
TIPS AND USEFUL FACTS ABOUT COSTA RICA
1. The local currency in Costa Rica is colones. The official exchange rate at this moment is approximately $1 = 638 colones, but we have found that the exchange rate is different in Costa Rica depending on the restaurant or store you go to, anywhere between 550 and 630. They accept dollars everywhere, but if you don’t have the exact amount needed for your purchase, you will get your change in colones. They also accept credit cards pretty much everywhere.
2. Costa Rica is expensive. I read about it before traveling and I was still surprised at the prices when we were there. Eating at restaurants is at least as expensive as eating out in the US. There are small grocery stores scattered around Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna, but we found out that groceries at those stores are very expensive as well. Maxi Pali is a bigger supermarket and we bought cheaper groceries there. We cooked our breakfast at the AirBnb in Manuel Antonio and in La Fortuna, it was included in your stay at Baldi. For lunch, we got supplies to make sandwiches or ordered pizzas to bring to the room. The typical Costa Rican food is ”casado”, which consists of meat, rice, beans, salad and plantains. It it served at small, family owned ”sodas” and it’s a cheap option for a meal.
3. Because it is positioned roughly 10 degrees from Equator, which makes the sunrise and sunset stay fairly consistent year long (sunrise around 5:30 am and sunset around 6 pm), Costa Rica gets 12 hours of daylight and 12 hrs of darkness (plus or minus 30 min). Plan accordingly for this: if you land into San Jose/Liberia anytime after 1 pm and you have a long drive to your destination, just spend one night in town. We landed at 2 pm and I thought we would have plenty of time to get to Manuel Antonio before nightfall, but I didn’t take into consideration the extra hours that we needed to pick up our rental and to stop for dinner. Most of our drive to Manuel Antonio ended up being in the dark, which was a bit scary.
4. Most formal, sit down restaurants (not the family owned ”sodas”) have a 10% service fee included in the check and if you want to tip more, we have to leave cash, as tipping with the card is not possible. For the ”sodas”, you tip as much as you think it’s appropriate and it seemed like tipping is not even expected.
5. The weather is very unpredictable in Costa Rica. We went at the beginning of the dry season and it sprinkled every morning and evening in Manuel Antonio. During the day, it was sunny and warm – perfect beach weather. But in La Fortuna it rained every day for 5 days straight. We only got sun for 2 hours on our forth day there and then it rained again, which meant we did all of the activities (zip lining, ATV tours, jungle walks etc) in the rain. The weather forecast is not reliable either, nor is the way a day begins. There were a couple of times when it looked like we would have clear days, but minutes later it got dark and started raining again. That was a bit of a disappointment for us. We knew that going into the rainforest, we should expect rain, but we were hoping to get sun at least some days, especially since we went at the beginning of the dry season. Needless to say, because of the clouds and the fog, we didn’t get to see the volcano or any breathtaking views of the jungle and the valley. So be prepared for that. Rain jackets and ponchos are a must for this area. Also, hiking shoes and quick dry clothes.
6. The main roads in Costa Rica are paved and fairly easy to drive on. We used Google maps for navigation for most trips and it worked perfectly well for us. My husband, who did all the driving, felt like driving was a bit hectic, but nothing impossible. You don’t need to rent a 4 wheel drive for the routes that we took, San Jose – Manuel Antonio – La Fortuna – back to San Jose.
7. Getting cash from ATM’s in Costa Rica came with some pretty substantial fees, depending on the bank. We got cash twice: the first time I withdrew dollars and had to pay an $8 dollar fee and the second time I got 5000 colones and had to pay 1200 colones for the fee (that is almost a quarter of the amount I withdrew, in fees!!). Luckily, our bank pays back international fees. Plan accordingly for this and bring some cash from back home.
PRE-TRIP CHECK LIST
- Get some change for the road fees (We used a 10 dollar bill for the first road fee and then received enough change into colones for the remaining road fees) and other expenses
- If you rent a car and have a credit card that covers insurance for rentals, get an official letter from the bank stating that you are insured, so you can deny the optional insurance
- Research and have an idea of the activities you want to do in each area you’re going to. If you are traveling with young kids, I recommend that you choose at least some of the activities based on their personalities and likes. Our kids strongly dislike being out in the heat, so we knew that trying to have them hike through the jungle, in the blasting sun of Manuel Antonio, would not end up well. We chose to do a night hike instead. We also got them flashlights that they carried with them every night we went out for dinner. In Manuel Antonio, we walked to the restaurants and the boys had a blast using their flashlights to spot wild life on the streets around our AirBnb. Similarly, we knew they love the beach, so we chose to have a couple of days when we did just that – we hung out at the beach. It is very tempting to over plan your days in Costa Rica, because there is so much to see and do, but if you think your kids won’t be able to deal with the stress of having to be on the go all the time, it’s better to have some laid back days.
- Research travel insurance. We didn’t need to get one, because we booked our trip using our Chase Sapphire Preferred and we are covered for trip cancellations/interruptions with our card. From other people’s reviews, Trawick has really good, affordable insurance plans for Costa Rica, but we have never personally used them
- If you rent a car, decide on what you will use for GPS. You can rent one from the rental car company, or if your phone has service in Costa Rica, you can use the GPS on your phone. We have Verizon in the US and that gives us the option to use our phones abroad for a fee. For Costa Rica, it was $10/day to be able to use our plan. It was the same price/day to rent the GPS, but since we didn’t use the mobile data on our phones every day, it saved us some money.
PACKING LIST FOR THE TRIP
- Binoculars – we got these and they were perfect for the kids. We used them on several occasions and the boys got such a kick from being able to spot animals and birds.
- Kids’ camera – my 5 year old son got this camera for his birthday last year and it is the best entertainment for him when we’re on vacation. He feels like he gets to do important, grown-up stuff, like taking pictures and he doesn’t constantly try to grab our (”slightly” more expensive) camera all the time.
- Moonlight projector – our kids love reading books. It is part of our nightly routine and if we ever attempt to jump this step, settling down suddenly takes 3 hrs longer than usual (or it feels like it). But who likes traveling with a suitcase full of books? Not me! So in comes this brilliant invention. A storybook projector that you hook up to your phone. The initial package you buy comes with a few reels, but you can extend your collection in time. You project it on the wall and it fits in one little pocket in your suitcase. Life savior! Or better said, bedtime savior!
- Rain jackets
- Muddy buddies for the kids – one of the best inventions in the history of kids’ gear. We have these for our boys and they kept them nice and dry for all the activities we used them for.
- Hiking shoes – I wore these hiking sandals and they worked great for me.
- Barefoot shoes for the kids – I discovered these shoes last year and they are my absolute favorite for the kids! They can be used as water shoes or hiking shoes. I got this pair for my 5 year old and not only are they very functional, but they look so cool! I seriously wish they made them in my size. They didn’t have the right size for my 3 year old, so instead, I got him this pair.
- Flashlights
- Costa Rica wildlife guide – this waterproof, pocket wildlife guide was one of my favorite purchases for Costa Rica. We were able to identify some of the birds that we saw flying by our AirBnb, using the guide. We still use at home sometimes – the kids get really excited about identifying in the guide the animals we saw there.
- Goggles – snorkeling is not great in Costa Rica, so if your kids don’t need goggles for the pool, you can skip getting these one. However, our kids’ eyes get very irritated by chlorine, so we use goggles all the time. I love these ones, because they fir perfectly little faces, so they don’t leak. They are also polarized, so they help with the sun.
- Quick dry hiking pants – I ordered these pants three days before going to Costa Rica, thinking I could use a pair. And boy, did I use these pants! Now, they are the first thing that pop into my mind when people ask what to pack for Costa Rica. They dry so fast, one day I used them for two tours: ATV tour in the morning, in the rain – I took them off around noon and by 4 pm, when we went for a night jungle tour, they were completely dry! And keep in mind that clothes don’t just dry in the rainforest. It is so humid that by our 4th day there, the tag on my rain jacket had started to mold!! My only regret is that I didn’t get a couple of pairs for the boys.
- Quick dry shorts – I got two pairs of these and I loved the look and the feel. I used them for the beach every day. I do have to say that the band is made out of normal fabric, so it is not quick dry. I would get them again though, because they are very cute and practical, and they very very easy to throw over my bathing suit to complete a decent outfit for walking to and from the beach.
- Medicine – painkillers for both adults and kids, stomach medicine (Tums, Imodium), cold medicine for the kids (mine always get sick when we travel), coconut oil (it works great to moisturize after sun exposure), pure lavender oil (I recently discovered that it is magical for ear infections! We spend a lot of time swimming and one of my kids has recurring ear infections. We’ve done everything from ear drops, antibiotics, even putting tubes in his ears and he still gets them. A friend of mine recently told me about lavender oil and I brought some with us to Costa Rica. Both my boys got ear infections and I am so happy to report that the lavender oil took care of the problem in one day!!!
PACKING LIST FOR THE AIRPLANE RIDE
- Sanitizing wipes
- Wet wipes
- Extra masks
- Drawing pads and crayons
- Origami set
- Tablets and chargers
- Headphones
- Books
- Snacks
For a detailed, 10 day itinerary, please check out my post 10 days in Costa Rica with kids
Pingback: 10 days in Costa Rica with kids – One more place to go
Thank you! You’ve inspired me to plan a trip to Costa Rica!
You’re welcome, Katie! You won’t regret it :). Happy to answer any questions you might have while planning.
This is so useful! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! Let me know if you have any question while you plan your trip.
Also, how would I find the exact Airbnb you stayed at? It looks beautiful!
This is so useful! Thank you for sharing! Found the answer to the Airbnb question!
Oh, perfect!
I linked the AirBnb into my post.
Wonderful website. Plenty of helpful information here.
I am sending it to a few friends ans also sharing in delicious.
And of course, thank you to your sweat!
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m happy to know the blog was useful to you. I tried to put together all the information I had to look for when booking our trip to Costa Rica.
Happy travels!
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.
I will make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info.
Thanks for the post. I will definitely return.
Bel article, je l’ai partagé avec mes amis.
When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a comment is added I receive
4 emails with the exact same comment. Is there a means you can remove me from that service?
Thanks a lot!
Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog!
We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche.
Your blog provided us valuable information to
work on. You have done a extraordinary job!
Thank you and good luck with your new initiative!