Costa Rica
Currency in Costa Rica: what to use and how to exchange
Costa Rica uses the colón (CRC, ₡). Pay in colones for sodas, buses, parking and small shops; US dollars are widely accepted in tourist areas, usually with change in colones. Carry a card for hotels, tours and rental cars, and withdraw colones from a bank ATM rather than exchanging at the airport.
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GuideCosta Rica
Key facts
- Currency
- Costa Rican colón (CRC, ₡); 100 céntimos, rarely used
- US dollars accepted
- Yes in tourist areas, hotels and tours; change often given in colones
- Best way to get colones
- Bank ATM (Banco Nacional, BAC, BCR); airport exchange rates are poor
- Cards
- Accepted at most hotels, restaurants and tour operators; carry cash for sodas and parking
- Taxes on bills
- 13% VAT plus a 10% service charge usually already included
- Rental car deposit
- US$1,000–5,000 blocked on a credit card if you decline the rental company's collision cover
- Cash necessity
- Low to moderate: cards cover most of a trip, but small vendors are cash-only
Details
The colón is the only legal tender, but Costa Rica runs a two-currency cash economy in practice. Hotels, tour companies, car-rental desks and mid-range restaurants in Guanacaste, Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna quote and take US dollars. Sodas (small local eateries), buses, taxis outside the main tourist strip, market stalls and parking attendants work in colones, and some will not take dollars at all.
That split decides your cash plan. Bring a modest amount of US dollars in clean, untorn notes as a backup, but treat the ATM as your main source of colones. Airport exchange counters and hotel front desks are the two worst rates you will meet; a bank ATM at a branch, or one inside a supermarket, gives the interbank rate plus a fixed local fee.
Card acceptance is broad but not universal. Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere that has a card machine; American Express is patchier outside San José and upmarket lodges. Contactless is common in the Central Valley and tourist towns. Small sodas, farmers' markets, rural bus tickets and some national-park entrances are cash-only, so keep ₡20,000–40,000 on you on travel days.
Decline the conversion offer. When a card machine or ATM asks whether to charge you in USD or colones, choose colones: the 'dynamic currency conversion' rate is set by the machine owner and is usually 3–7% worse. The same rule applies at ATMs, which sometimes offer to bill your home account in dollars.
Watch the rental-car deposit. If you decline the rental company's collision cover, expect a block of US$1,000–5,000 on a credit card, which can swallow your available limit for the whole trip. Check your limit before you fly, and keep a second card free for daily spending.
Tipping is not obligatory because a 10% service charge is normally already on the bill; add a little for good service if you want. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip, though rounding up is normal. Carry small colón notes and coins for this, since ₡20,000 notes are hard to break at a soda.
Summary table
| Item | What to do | Cost or rate note |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | Costa Rican colón (CRC, ₡) | US dollars accepted in tourist areas |
| ATM withdrawal | Use a bank ATM at a branch or in a supermarket | Interbank rate plus a local fee; your bank may add one |
| Airport or hotel exchange | Avoid unless you need a small amount on arrival | Rates are typically the worst you will see |
| Card payment | Visa and Mastercard widely; Amex patchier | Choose colones, not USD, at the terminal |
| Cash to carry | ₡20,000–40,000 on travel days | For sodas, buses, parking, markets |
| Restaurant bill | 13% VAT plus 10% service charge usually included | Tip extra only for good service |
| Rental car deposit | US$1,000–5,000 blocked if you decline the rental cover | Check your credit limit before booking |
2026 estimate. Rates and fees change; confirm with your bank before you travel.
Tips
- Withdraw a larger amount less often: the local ATM fee is fixed, so one ₡100,000 withdrawal beats four small ones.
- Use ATMs attached to a bank branch during opening hours; if a machine eats your card, staff can help.
- Keep a few ₡1,000 and ₡2,000 notes for buses and parking; drivers rarely have change for big notes.
- Ask the price in colones before you agree to a dollar price at a tour desk, then compare.
- Photograph your card numbers and your bank's international phone number before you leave.
- Tell your bank you are travelling so a fraud block does not strand you in a rural town.
Questions people ask
What currency is used in Costa Rica?
The Costa Rican colón (CRC, written ₡). US dollars are widely accepted in tourist areas, hotels and tour companies, often with change given in colones. Elsewhere — sodas, buses, markets, parking — you need colones.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Costa Rica?
A bank ATM at a branch or inside a supermarket gives the interbank rate plus a fixed local fee, which beats airport counters and hotel desks. Withdraw colones rather than dollars, and decline any offer to bill you in USD.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in Costa Rica?
Bring a small amount of US dollars as backup and rely on a card plus ATM withdrawals for the rest. Cards cover hotels, restaurants and tours; carry ₡20,000–40,000 in cash for sodas, buses, parking and markets.
Should I pay in dollars or colones?
Pay in colones where you can. Dollar prices in tourist areas are often rounded up, and card machines that offer to charge you in USD apply a conversion margin of roughly 3–7%.
Can I use US dollars everywhere in Costa Rica?
No. They work in tourist areas, hotels, tour operators and many restaurants, but small sodas, public buses, rural taxis and some park entrances are colones-only. Keep cash for those.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialVisit Costa Rica (official tourism board)
- officialBanco Central de Costa Rica
- secondaryWikivoyage – Costa Rica