Costa Rica backpacking budget & travel costs
Buddy's starting estimate for Costa Rica is £58 a day for an independent traveller staying in budget places, eating mostly local food and doing a few paid activities each week. It's a planning figure, not a quoted price — you can change every number in the planner.
How Buddy estimates travel costs → (costs last reviewed September 2026, shown in pounds sterling)
Daily travel budget for Costa Rica
Accommodation
£20 / day
- Hostel dorm
- £10–15
- Budget private / guesthouse
- £19–30
- 2–3 star hotel
- £38–60
- 4 star & boutique
- £72–113
- Luxury
- £144–225
Food & drink
£14 / day
- Self-catering
- £5–8
- Street food & local cafés
- £10–15
- Mix of local + restaurants
- £18–28
- Western restaurants & bars
- £36–56
Local transport
£6 / day
- Walk & public transport
- £2–3
- Scooter rental
- £4–7
- Regular taxis / ride-hailing
- £9–14
- Private drivers & domestic flights
- £19–30
Excursions & fun
£14 / day
- Free & low cost
- £3–4
- Regular paid activities
- £10–16
- Adventure heavy
- £25–39
Other (sim, laundry…)
£4 / day
- Lean
- £2–3
- Typical
- £3–5
- Comfortable
- £6–10
Buddy's daily estimate
£58 / day
How much money do I need for Costa Rica?
These examples come straight from the same daily estimate above — nothing extra is added.
7 days
≈ £406
14 days
≈ £812
30 days
≈ £1,740
90 days
≈ £5,220
What the estimate excludes
- International flights to and from Costa Rica.
- Travel between destinations, such as long-distance buses, trains and ferries.
- One-off costs like visas, travel insurance, vaccinations and gear.
- Big-ticket experiences you'd plan separately, such as a diving course or a trek.
You add those separately in the planner, so they never get hidden inside a daily figure.