Money in Costa Rica: currency, ATMs, cards and tipping

Pay in colones where you can and treat dollars as a convenience, not the local currency. Cards cover hotels, tours, rental cars and most restaurants; cash covers sodas, buses, markets, parking and small tips. Restaurant bills normally include 10% service and 13% VAT, so a tip on top is optional and based on service.

The colón (CRC, ₡) is the official currency. US dollars are accepted in tourist areas such as Guanacaste, La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio, but the exchange rate used on the spot is rarely in your favour and change usually comes back in colones. For anything above a few dollars, pay in colones or by card.

Prices in Costa Rica are the highest in Central America, and tours are the big line item. A casado at a soda runs ₡3,500–5,500, a beer ₡1,500–2,500, a guided park walk US$35–65 and a shuttle between towns US$55–80 a leg. Budget travellers spend roughly US$55–80 a day, mid-range travellers US$150–250, and comfort travellers US$400 or more. All figures are 2026 estimates.

ATMs are common in San José, Liberia, La Fortuna, Quepos and beach towns, but thinner on the Caribbean coast and in remote park areas. Withdraw in colones rather than dollars: the rate is usually better and you avoid a second conversion. Foreign-card withdrawal fees of roughly US$3–6 per transaction are common, plus whatever your own bank charges, so take larger amounts less often and keep the cash split between two places.

Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere that has a card machine; American Express less so. Tell your bank you are travelling, and carry a backup card kept separately. Small sodas, market stalls, bus tickets and parking attendants are cash-only, so keep ₡20,000–40,000 in small notes on you.

Rental cars are the one place cards can bite. If you decline the rental company's collision cover, expect a deposit hold of US$1,000–5,000 on a credit card, and check your limit before you book. Debit cards are often refused for this hold.

Restaurant bills in Costa Rica normally include a 10% service charge and 13% VAT. When that line is on the bill, no further tip is expected; leaving another 5–10% in cash is a normal way to reward good service. If service is not included, 10% is the standard.

Elsewhere, tipping is appreciated but modest. Tour guides and drivers usually get US$5–10 per person for a half or full day, porters and housekeeping ₡1,000–2,000, and bar staff a few hundred colones or the coins from the change. Taxi drivers are not tipped; agree the fare or make sure the meter is running before you get in.

Cards can fail when a network drops, which happens in storms and in remote areas, so always keep enough cash to cover a meal and a taxi. Keep a photo of your card numbers and your bank's emergency number somewhere offline.

Prices quoted in dollars by tour operators are usually converted at a rate set by the business, so compare the colón price when both are offered. For a rough conversion while you travel, use a converter with typical local prices rather than a headline exchange rate.

If you are still planning the trip, sort out your SIM or eSIM and your entry paperwork before you worry about cash: both are easier to fix at home than on arrival.