Is Costa Rica still affordable in 2023?

The question everyone is asking

“Is Costa Rica still worth it?” It has been in our inbox consistently since 2022, when the combination of post-pandemic price increases, a stronger colón, and a surge in visitor demand pushed Costa Rica’s tourism costs to levels that surprised people who had visited before.

We went back to our records. We have been documenting trip costs since our first visit in 2018. What follows is a category-by-category comparison of what things cost in 2018 and what they cost in late 2023, based on actual receipts and updated field research. Nothing approximated. Everything verified.

The short version: Costa Rica is meaningfully more expensive than it was five years ago. Some categories have increased 40-70%. Whether that makes it “unaffordable” depends entirely on what you are comparing it to.

Hotels: where the increase is most visible

In 2018, a clean, comfortable mid-range hotel near the main tourist sites in La Fortuna, Monteverde, or Manuel Antonio cost $60-90 per night. This would typically include breakfast, have air conditioning (except in Monteverde, where the elevation makes it unnecessary), and occupy a well-located position within the destination.

In 2023, that equivalent hotel runs $100-150 per night in the same locations. Some of the specific properties we visited in 2018 at $70 per night are now listed at $120-140.

The budget end of the market has been hit harder in percentage terms. A dormitory bed at a reputable hostel in La Fortuna ran $12-15 in 2018. By 2023 it was $20-28. A basic private room — no breakfast, no frills — went from $35-45 to $60-80. For the backpacker segment, this is a significant shift.

At the upper end, the premium has also grown. The boutique eco-lodges and luxury properties — Tabacón at Arenal, Nayara Springs, Lapa Rios — have increased rates in the 30-50% range. But these were already expensive, and the absolute dollar increase is proportionally less dramatic than at the mid-range.

2018 mid-range two-person room per night: $65-95 2023 equivalent: $100-155 Percentage increase: approximately 55-60%

Food: the most variable category

The soda lunch — a casado or gallo pinto at a local family restaurant — remains Costa Rica’s best budget option and has increased the least in relative terms. In 2018, a full casado (rice, beans, meat or fish, salad, patacones, drink) cost 2,500-3,500 CRC, roughly $4.50-6.00 at the exchange rates of the time. In 2023 with the colón stronger against the dollar, the same meal costs 3,500-4,500 CRC — around $6.50-8.50 at 2023 rates.

The percentage increase is about 30-40% in local currency, but the dollar equivalent increase looks different because the exchange rate moved. For dollar-carrying travelers, sodas got somewhat more expensive; for people with euro-equivalent income, the impact was different still.

Mid-range restaurant meals — the kind you would eat in tourist areas, with a proper menu, table service, and beer — went from $12-18 per main course in 2018 to $18-28 in 2023. The upper-end restaurants in tourist zones are approaching Central American fine-dining prices: $30-50 per person for a full dinner with wine.

Supermarket shopping has also increased significantly, partly reflecting global food inflation and partly Costa Rica’s reliance on food imports. Basic groceries for a week of self-catering for two: $60-75 in 2018, $90-120 in 2023.

Honest 2023 food budget per day, per person:

• Backpacker (sodas + market): $20-30
• Mid-range (mixed restaurants): $35-55
• Comfortable (good restaurants, beer): $55-90

Transport: the rental car shock

The rental car situation deserves its own section because the increase is dramatic and the cause is specific.

In 2018, a compact 4WD — a Daihatsu Terios or equivalent — rented for $35-50 per day including the mandatory liability insurance. A full-size 4WD (Toyota RAV4 class) was $55-75 per day.

In 2023, that compact 4WD runs $65-95 per day. The full-size 4WD is $90-135 per day. The increase is roughly 70-80% over five years.

The 2021-2022 global rental car shortage (caused by fleet sell-downs during the pandemic) drove the initial spike. By 2023, fleets had been rebuilt somewhat, but prices had not fully reset. The Costa Rica market is also more competitive than some others, meaning rental companies maintained elevated prices longer.

The alternative — shuttle services — also increased but proportionally less. In 2018, a shared shuttle from San José to La Fortuna cost $30-35 per person. In 2023, the range is $45-55. Private transfers increased more steeply.

2018 rental car (14 days, compact 4WD): approximately $550-650 total 2023 equivalent: approximately $950-1,200 total

Shuttle services San José to La Fortuna

Tours: the price point that surprises travelers

This is the category that often produces the most sticker shock, because people have mental anchors from guidebooks or previous visits that are now significantly out of date.

In 2018, a half-day guided tour at Manuel Antonio National Park with a certified naturalist guide ran $45-60 per person. The same tour in 2023 is $70-100 per person.

The hanging bridges tour at Místico in Arenal, which was $30-38 in 2018, is now $50-65.

A full-day tour to Corcovado from Drake Bay, which was $85-110 in 2018, runs $130-170 in 2023 — partly due to the mandatory certified guide requirement that was formalized after 2020.

The hot springs day pass at Eco Termales, which was $45-55 in 2018, is now $75-90. Tabacón, which was $75-95, is now $120-145.

Average tour price increase: 40-60% across the category.

The price increases reflect multiple pressures: higher staff wages (genuinely, guide salaries have increased as the guide certification system has raised professional standards), higher equipment and insurance costs, and the simple supply-demand dynamic of more visitors competing for certified tours.

La Fortuna: Místico Arenal hanging bridges admission ticket

The honest total: what a 10-day trip costs in 2023

We compiled a realistic 10-day itinerary budget — San José, La Fortuna (3 nights), Monteverde (2 nights), Manuel Antonio (3 nights) — and priced it at both 2018 and 2023 levels for a couple sharing rooms.

2018 estimate (two people, 10 days):

• Flights (NY round trip): $800
• Accommodation: $1,100
• Car rental: $500
• Food: $700
• Tours (4 days): $400
• Miscellaneous: $200
• Total: approximately $3,700

2023 estimate (same itinerary, two people):

• Flights (NY round trip): $1,100 (flights increased too)
• Accommodation: $1,700
• Car rental: $850
• Food: $1,000
• Tours (4 days): $650
• Miscellaneous: $300
• Total: approximately $5,600

An increase of roughly 51% over five years. In the context of global travel inflation, this is real but not exceptional — comparable increases have occurred in popular European destinations, Bali, and Japan’s post-pandemic market.

Is it still worth it?

Yes, for most travelers who were going anyway — and with the same caveats as always.

The value proposition has always been: nowhere else offers this combination of wildlife, biodiversity, stable infrastructure, proximity to North America, and English-language accessibility in a country this small. That proposition has not weakened. The prices have increased, but so has everything else.

What has changed is the competitive landscape. In 2018, Costa Rica was a clear value leader among quality eco-tourism destinations. In 2023, it is priced more like a premium destination — more comparable to Galápagos or Patagonia in daily cost than to Guatemala or Nicaragua, though still below Western Europe or Japan for a comparable nature experience.

The travelers for whom it has become genuinely hard are those on tight budgets who were counting on Costa Rica being cheaper than equivalent European destinations. It is not, consistently, anymore. The backpacker who could do Costa Rica for $50/day in 2018 is now looking at $65-80/day to maintain a similar experience. That is a real shift.

For an updated price table covering 2026 conditions, see our Costa Rica 2026 pricing update.

The wildlife is worth it. The parks are worth it. The food — especially the sodas — is still punching above its price. Come with realistic expectations and a budget that reflects 2023 reality, not the numbers you read in a five-year-old travel blog.