Tamarindo at a glance
- Tamarindo is the most expensive of Costa Rica's 4 priced cities: $1,675 a month in essentials, 118% above Puntarenas at $768.
- The average net salary of $938 covers that 0.6×.
- 124.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at distrito level.
- PM2.5 averages 7.1 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 4 Costa Rica cities we track, so every row says whether Tamarindo is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,675 | $1,128 | 1.48× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $950 | $438 | 2.17× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,924 | $676 | 2.84× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $235 | $220 | $15 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $247 | $235 | $12 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $157 | $148 | $9 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $86 | $48 | 1.77× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $938 | $908 | $29 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,380 | $944 | 1.46× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,711 | $1,390 | 1.95× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Tamarindo, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.54 | $11.27 | $0.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $49.46 | $44.52 | $4.95 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $11.38 | $10.77 | $0.61 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.30 | $4.05 | $0.25 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.30 | $3.02 | $0.27 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.40 | $4.40 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $2.37 | $2.29 | $0.08 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.84 | $1.77 | $0.07 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.36 | $2.26 | $0.10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $3.07 | $3.07 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.42 | $2.38 | $0.04 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.41 | $3.41 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.70 | $9.30 | $1.39 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $10.08 | $9.03 | $1.05 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.13 | $5.13 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.72 | $1.63 | $0.09 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.98 | $3.26 | $0.72 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.60 | $3.06 | $0.46 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $3.68 | $3.13 | $0.55 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $3.17 | $2.95 | $0.22 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.09 | $1.21 | 1.73× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $85.73 | $54.95 | 1.56× as much |
| Taxi start | $2.44 | $2.44 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.59 | $1.59 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.50 | $1.50 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $98.31 | $98.31 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $58.70 | $47.19 | $11.52 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $30.19 | $29.38 | $0.81 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $102.32 | $61.77 | 1.66× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.69 | $8.79 | $1.10 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Tamarindo has 124.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (distrito level). That is the highest of the 10 Costa Rica cities we track. Costa Rica's national figure is 102.9, so Tamarindo runs 22 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Tamarindo ranks against every city we track
Tamarindo sits ahead of 82% of the 898 cities we track on clean air. On local salary it is ahead of 38% of 545. Its weakest measure is women aged 20–39, ahead of only 3% of 892.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Tamarindo sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Hqfrancis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
