How Much Does It Cost to Travel Costa Rica on a Budget? [Infographic]

Costa Rica is not a cheap country to travel, although it is possible to travel Costa Rica on a budget.

We’ve kept our travel budget really low here in Costa Rica thanks to house sitting, but during our travel breaks we have to be more conscious about what we’re spending. Our travel budget is near to the rock-bottom expenditure for a night’s accommodation, 3 meals per day, local transport, and minimal costs for activities. This travel budget does not include flights.

Cost of Travel Costa Rica on a budget - Charlie on Travel

Where we Travelled

All of our travels in Costa Rica have been during green season, which is off-peak here. We spent a couple of days exploring San José, took a short trip to Arenal and travelled along the Pacific coast through Quepos and Manuel Antonio. In October, we were extremely lucky to be in Ostional for the sea turtle arribada.

Charlie and Nate in Manuel Antonio NP - Charlie on Travel

Budget Accommodation in Costa Rica

Budget accommodation in Costa Rica is quite good, but usually means sharing a dorm room in a hostel. For the most part this also means cold showers and no breakfast included.

Fill Up in the Sodas

I actually love eating at sodas, which are cheap local eateries that serve up typical Costa Rican dishes. The only drawback is that the food on offer is often very similar and being vegetarian limits your choice even more, but veggie options are available. We would nearly always eat a vegetarian casado which made up of three staples – rice, black beans and eggs. Casados sometimes also include extras like salad, vegetables, fried plantain, cheese or tortillas.

Chaz eats more and more gallo pinto - travel costa rica on a budget

Me eating more and more gallo pinto.

Activities During Our Travels

National parks are always a good budget option. Once you’ve paid your entry fee (usually around $10) you can spend the whole day walking and wildlife spotting. I highly recommend Manuel Antonio National Park to anyone travelling to Costa Rica.  We had a brilliant time tree climbing at Hacienda Baru, and touring the eco-farm and kayaking through the mangrove forests at Isla Violin. Our most awesome travel adventure in Costa Rica was hands down the turtle arribada in Ostional, however this only occurs at very specific times of the year so make sure to research before you go!

Arenal volcano - Charlie on Travel

Me at the Arenal Volcano viewpoint (apparently).

It’s not a cheap country for travelling, but I’m not the only travel blogger to say that it is possible to travel Costa Rica on a budget. Without breaking the bank, we ate delicious local food, hiked in some amazing places, and saw some incredible wildlife.

Are you travelling to Costa Rica soon, or maybe you’ve been before? I’d love to hear if you managed to beat our travel budget!