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When you think of Costa Rica, do you think of it as one of the safest Latin American countries? Is that one of your top reasons for traveling there?
If yes, then you are among millions of people who would prefer to travel and have peace of mind while traveling.
Costa Rica is a relatively small country, and it is an extremely popular destination for Americans, Canadians, Europeans, and other Latin Americans. It being a safe and stable country is one of the reasons that it is so popular.
And with popularity, comes higher prices. People are basically willing to pay high prices to visit a safe country and enjoy themselves.
There are plenty of places to stay in Costa Rica. The least expensive option is going to be couchsurfing. Most people don’t do couchsurfing, and I’ve only done it a couple of times. It can be kind of weird because of the obligation (at least what I had perceived) to hang out with the person you are hosting or visiting.
The next option available is going to be Hostelworld. If you are traveling solo or with a very small group, Hostelworld is a great option! It is very low cost, and there are tons of hostels in Costa Rica. I have only had good experiences with Hostelworld.
The bonus of staying in a hostel is that you can usually cook and make most of your own meals. You can shop at the grocery stores, where many products are very affordable.
From here, the cost of lodging tends to go up. The most affordable Airbnb rentals can be booked out for months, so make sure to plan ahead.
Without a doubt, no matter where you fly into Costa Rica or enter, you need to travel across parts of the country.
The least expensive way to travel is with the public bus. I personally did not travel with the bus, but I looked into it.
The best travel experience I had was with bookaway.com / Interbus. The buses were clean, punctual, and I didn’t have to worry at all about driving. I could sleep, journal, read, listen to music, plan the next parts of my trip, or talk to people.
From here, prices for travel tend to go up. There are private shuttles from people. Make sure to try and find a reputable person.
There are taxis.
There is Uber as well. However, Uber is officially illegal in Costa Rica, but it is around.
Lastly, there is renting a car. I have heard if you show proof of your credit card rental car insurance, you can waive a part of the insurance upon renting a car. Also, I didn’t rent a car, but I considered it, and one of the dealerships told me that manual transmission cars are cheaper to rent.
If you pay with cash, you can ask for a discount. You should ask for discounts if you are buying multiple things like souvenirs.
Avoid stores specifically for tourists. There was this one chocolate shop in La Fortuna in which the chocolate was soooooo expensive. There’s cheaper chocolate at the local supermarket.
Also, I seemed to notice that people who can speak Spanish really well seemed to be able to talk about the price better. If your Spanish is really good, don’t hesitate to ask for a discount.
