Costa Rica is one of the most expensive countries in Central America, but it also has a lot to offer tourists from around the world. In this travel guide, we will learn some tips for traveling to Costa Rica on a budget. Traveling to Costa Rica is not exactly cheap, in fact, it is the most expensive place in all of Central America. This is not surprising considering everything that Costa Rica has to offer. It has become a particularly attractive place for tourists from all over the world. But that shouldn’t discourage you.
With a few tips, you can make the most of your Costa Rica vacation and have a great time on a budget. Even if your budget is tight, there are many all-around strategies you can use to save money on your trip. You can have the best of both worlds by simply keeping a few tips in mind when traveling to Costa Rica. So what are some tips for traveling to Costa Rica on a budget?
Travel out of season
The first thing you can do to make sure you don’t spend too much money on your trip to Costa Rica is to travel during the off-season. There aren’t many tourists out of season, so prices won’t be as high as they usually are. The low season is also known as the rainy season, so you may encounter bad weather. However, this is a huge time frame and lasts from May to November. If you travel within this time period, you are sure to find things cheaper than usual. Additionally, the first few months of the rainy season tend to be the best because the weather is a little milder, not to mention that all the vegetation is green from the rain.
Eat local
You should definitely avoid big restaurants if you plan to eat in Costa Rica, try visiting Sodas (local restaurants serving traditional Costa Rican dishes) instead. These small local restaurants are much cheaper and you can usually get a good meal for $3–6 and believe me, in Costa Rica those prices are really low and affordable.
Transportation
Costa Rica is a little different when it comes to public transportation than Central America. Try to take public buses when you want to travel from one part of the city to another. Its bus system is extremely reliable and relatively cheap. They usually cost around $5.
Water
To save money, you should drink tap water instead of going out and buying bottled water. In most of the country, tap water is completely safe and even better than in other parts of Central America. Simply fill your own bottle to stay hydrated and go. You’ll be surprised how much money you can save on water alone, especially during the summer when it’s hot and you drink a lot of it. It sounds funny, but it is one of the most important tips for traveling to Costa Rica on a budget.
Guides
When traveling in Costa Rica, guides are not exactly cheap. It’s not that they aren’t good at showing you things you wouldn’t otherwise see, but that’s not exactly necessary and you could end up wasting money that could be better used on something else. Instead of hiring a professional guide, make friends with some locals. Costa Ricans are eager to help and will guide you in the right direction whenever you need to get you on the right path.
Cheap hotels
There are not many cheap hotels and hostels in Costa Rica. You can try searching for a cheap alternative on websites like Airbnb, or just try to find local rooms on the internet. Much more expensive, but probably the best way to spend your time, may be a villa in Costa Rica. But if you’re trying to get a cheap Costa Rica vacation on a budget, don’t even look it up.
