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danielleiellle t1_ix6st4d wrote

Reply to comment by cloppyfawk in View from a restaurant in Alajuela, Costa Rica. [OC] [1920x4160] by kvn1902

Groceries are somewhat exceptional because of protectionist import taxes on food. But that is still pretty high for the country based on market data- were they special or did you buy at a gourmet market?

As a tourist, CR is cheap. You can get a seaside resort hotel room with a private balcony and breakfast included for $100 USD and get laundry done for about $2/piece. Nothing I could afford perpetually but much cheaper than most luxury tropical destinations.

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cloppyfawk t1_ix6txo7 wrote

Well your experience is very very different than mine then. But I am also not a luxury traveller. Costa Rica has been significantly more than twice as expensive as the 20+ other countries I have visited in the past year.

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Upvote_me_arsehole t1_ix7bvz3 wrote

What are your top three or five destinations that you’ve travelled to?

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cloppyfawk t1_ix7uxwq wrote

Well I did all of South America most recently. Then mostly Europe before that.

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danielleiellle t1_ixa3k2s wrote

The thread was about vacation. I was comparing to other similar vacation spots. You are talking about living/perpetual travel and have different expenses and daily budget than someone on vacation.

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flyonlewall t1_ix7l67i wrote

I was staying at a Hostel for $10/night US inc breakfast in Alajuela. Food is a bit more expensive, like you said, if you buy import items specifically. Snickers were like $4 (in 2015), and a 5th of Jack Daniel's was nearly $80.

But (at the time), eating like a local was very cheap. Rice and beans aren't expensive. I was buying whole roasting chickens for $3 US. Bread was pricey then, too. Nuts were also shockingly cheap, as were exotic fruits. Perhaps not at the mercado in town, but roadside? Local? The Costa Ricans aren't idiots and you'll pay a tourist tax there if you stay in tourist spots.

I stayed in Costa Rics for 3 months, my entire length allowable, and I spent $2000 US including airfare, passport fees, and I lived luxurious like smoking weed (VERY EXPENSIVE). I stayed between hostels, and worked a bit on a farm. I guess depends how you do things.. but CR can be done cheap. There's a reason it's the new Vietnam.

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