Skip to content

Tamarindo

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

A Pacific coast town with a large foreign community and prices to match. Reliable connectivity for its size, and a pronounced dry season.

Population
7,000
Climate
tropical
Typical download speed
55 Mbit/s

Indicative

One-bed, city centre
US$800 – US$1,600
One-bed, outside centre
US$550 – US$1,000
Monthly budget, one adult
US$1,700 – US$2,800

Getting around

Very limited public transport; a vehicle is effectively required.

What people work in here

  • Tourism
  • Hospitality
  • Real estate

Cost of living

We do not hold a Tamarindo cost series, so this is the Costa Rica country-wide estimate. Use the rent figures above for the local picture.

Estimated monthly costs by category
CategoryMonthly range
HousingUS$500 – US$1,100
FoodUS$300 – US$550
UtilitiesUS$70 – US$180
InternetUS$35 – US$70
TransportUS$40 – US$200
HealthcareUS$80 – US$250
Everything elseUS$180 – US$400
TotalUS$1,205 – US$2,750
Suggested monthly bufferUS$3,300
Estimate

Modelled from a baseline for one adult and scaled, not sampled from households. Figures are shown as ranges because that is the honest shape of the data.

Researched, not independently verifiedlow confidenceReviewed 20 September 2026

Worth knowing. Modelled estimate. Costa Rica is noticeably more expensive than its Central American neighbours, and imported goods and vehicles carry high duties.

Immigration

Immigration is decided nationally, not by city. Which routes are open to you, what they require and how long they take are all on the Costa Rica guide.

See the routes into Costa Rica

Researched, not independently verifiedlow confidenceReviewed 20 September 2026

Worth knowing. Modelled estimates, not survey data.

Reference dataset, compiled 20 September 2026. This is a compiled reference dataset. Every figure is drawn from official material and cited, but no record has been signed off by a named editor working through the review console, so nothing here is marked verified. Immigration rules change without notice and consulates apply them differently. Check the linked authority before you act on anything. This site is not legal advice.