With over two million annual visitors and known for it's inexpensive cost of living, Costa Rica is rapidly becoming a vacation hotspot. Gorgeous scenery combined with friendly and hospitable locals make it a true holiday paradise, but there are still a few financial pitfalls that can turn the perfect vacation into a costly one. Here are four tips for making sure that doesn't happen to you.
Don't use your cell phone unless you are absolutely positive you won't be charged for roaming. It's very easy to get excited when you go online, especially with Verizon, and see that you get coverage in Costa Rica. You'll be told you just need to get a global SIM card, and your phone will work like a charm. This is very true for the most part, but what they won't tell you is that you will most likely be roaming, and be billed $2 per minute for talk time, and more sometimes for data usage. When you're calling friends back home or updating your social pages, this can get painfully expensive in a hurry. It's very easy to rent phones in Costa Rica, and while you might lose the convenience of having your own, it's way better than getting an unexpected $500 phone bill when you get home.
Avoid renting a car unless you absolutely have to (or have all the time and patience in the world.) While $30 a day might seem like a bargain compared to what you would pay elsewhere, chances are you will get lost, and there are few things more frustrating in life. Costa Rican directions are based around landmarks, for example: Look for the old Pepsi factory and it's half a mile past there before you get to the Wednesday fish market. And I promise, what looks like a two hour drive on a map will always take twice as long as you thought it would. Gas, too, is more expensive, and with affordable and efficient public transportation, why not save your money and leave the driving (and the stress,) to someone else. If you are really set on having your own car, check craigslist and other local classifieds for private drivers, who charge approximately the same as you would pay for a rental.
If you are staying for a week or longer, check out house and condo rental rates, either with a local realtor, or again, on craigslist. You will be amazed that it's frequently about the same price to rent your own place for a week as it is to stay in a hotel, and while you might miss the chocolate on your pillow at night, having your own home is not only a luxury in terms of space and privacy, but it will also allow you to prepare some of your own meals. I know that eating out is part of the cultural experience, but so is shopping at the local markets, and trust me, you'll be glad you did.
Finally, change a little money before you arrive in Costa Rica, and don't change any more until you can visit a Costa Rican bank. The jury's still out on whether the street or the airport is worse as far as paying obscene fees to convert currency, but what we do know is either experience will leave you with way fewer colones in your pocket than you deserve. So start your vacation off right with a little advance planning.
Keep your Costa Rica cost of living affordable by avoiding these four mistakes, and happy travels!
Don't use your cell phone unless you are absolutely positive you won't be charged for roaming. It's very easy to get excited when you go online, especially with Verizon, and see that you get coverage in Costa Rica. You'll be told you just need to get a global SIM card, and your phone will work like a charm. This is very true for the most part, but what they won't tell you is that you will most likely be roaming, and be billed $2 per minute for talk time, and more sometimes for data usage. When you're calling friends back home or updating your social pages, this can get painfully expensive in a hurry. It's very easy to rent phones in Costa Rica, and while you might lose the convenience of having your own, it's way better than getting an unexpected $500 phone bill when you get home.
Avoid renting a car unless you absolutely have to (or have all the time and patience in the world.) While $30 a day might seem like a bargain compared to what you would pay elsewhere, chances are you will get lost, and there are few things more frustrating in life. Costa Rican directions are based around landmarks, for example: Look for the old Pepsi factory and it's half a mile past there before you get to the Wednesday fish market. And I promise, what looks like a two hour drive on a map will always take twice as long as you thought it would. Gas, too, is more expensive, and with affordable and efficient public transportation, why not save your money and leave the driving (and the stress,) to someone else. If you are really set on having your own car, check craigslist and other local classifieds for private drivers, who charge approximately the same as you would pay for a rental.
If you are staying for a week or longer, check out house and condo rental rates, either with a local realtor, or again, on craigslist. You will be amazed that it's frequently about the same price to rent your own place for a week as it is to stay in a hotel, and while you might miss the chocolate on your pillow at night, having your own home is not only a luxury in terms of space and privacy, but it will also allow you to prepare some of your own meals. I know that eating out is part of the cultural experience, but so is shopping at the local markets, and trust me, you'll be glad you did.
Finally, change a little money before you arrive in Costa Rica, and don't change any more until you can visit a Costa Rican bank. The jury's still out on whether the street or the airport is worse as far as paying obscene fees to convert currency, but what we do know is either experience will leave you with way fewer colones in your pocket than you deserve. So start your vacation off right with a little advance planning.
Keep your Costa Rica cost of living affordable by avoiding these four mistakes, and happy travels!
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