💰 Two Currencies in Practice
Costa Rica's official currency is the Costa Rican Colón (CRC / ₡), but USD is widely accepted at hotels, resorts, and tour operators in Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, Arenal, and Jacó. Tours, and car rentals are priced in dollars. Local restaurants, buses, and markets use colones. Knowing when to pay in each currency can save you real money. Quick math: divide colones by 500 for approximate USD.
🎧 Order Costa Rican Colón Before You Fly
Have cash in hand when you land. Insured delivery, 2–5 day shipping.
Order CRC → CEI Currency ExchangeCash vs. Card: What to Expect in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a split economy. Pacific coast tourist towns (Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, Jacó) and the Arenal area are very card-friendly. The Caribbean coast, Osa Peninsula, and rural areas are cash-dependent.
Cards work well at hotels, tour operators, restaurants, and shops in Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, Arenal/La Fortuna, and Jacó. You could go nearly cashless in these areas. San José and the Central Valley have excellent card acceptance at malls, chains, and modern businesses. Cash is essential for local sodas (family-run eateries), Mercado Central in San José, pulperías (corner stores), local and intercity buses, official red taxis, and nearly everything on the Caribbean coast.
USD is widely accepted at tourist-facing businesses, but paying in colones at local businesses saves you 10–15% since vendors set unfavorable dollar exchange rates. The general rule: if the price is originally quoted in colones, pay in colones.
Colones vs. Dollars: When Each Saves You Money
Costa Rica is one of the most USD-friendly countries in Latin America for US tourists. But that convenience comes with a catch: businesses that accept dollars often apply an unfavorable exchange rate, pocketing the difference.
Pay in USD When...
Hotels and resorts that quote prices in USD are already set in dollars, so no conversion penalty applies. Tour operators and adventure activities (zip-lining at Monteverde, rafting the Pacuare, volcano tours at Arenal) price in USD. Pay with a no-FX-fee credit card for the best deal. Shuttle services (Interbus, Grayline) and car rentals also quote in USD.
Pay in Colones When...
Local restaurants and sodas price in colones. Paying in USD at a soda means accepting the owner's exchange rate, often costing you 10–15% more than the real rate. Supermarkets (Auto Mercado, Mas x Menos, Pali) ring everything up in colones. Local buses (both urban San José routes and intercity coaches) require colones. Drivers may not accept USD. Official red taxis use meters calibrated in colones. Farmers' markets, pharmacies, gas stations, and pulperías all operate in colones. If the price is quoted in colones, pay in colones.
How to Get Colones for Your Costa Rica Trip
Costa Rica runs a dual-currency economy. Tour operators, hotels, surf-camp deposits, and large restaurants in Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo all happily price in US dollars. Local sodas, neighborhood comedores, official red taxis, intercity buses, supermarkets, and pulperías all price in colones, and paying USD there means eating an unofficial 10–15% conversion markup. The trick is to land with both: enough USD for the shuttle, the dive shop, and the lodge front-desk deposit, plus enough colones for groceries, taxis, and beers at the soda. Two cheap routes for the colones side of that: pre-order before you fly, or pull from a Costa Rican bank ATM once you land.
Order colones before you fly
For pre-arrival colones, two paths. A currency-exchange service like CEI Currency Exchange ships physical Costa Rican colones to a US address with insured 2–5 day delivery, at a small spread over the bank rate. Useful if your itinerary skips San José entirely (LIR → Tamarindo or LIR → Nosara, where the only "ATM" near your beach lodge is a standalone machine inside a pulpería with a $5–8 surcharge). Your home bank can also order colones (Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi), free for many premium accounts and a modest fee otherwise; allow 5–10 business days because CRC isn't a flagship currency. One correction worth flagging: Costa Rica no longer has a Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner. Scotiabank, which was the Alliance member here, closed its Costa Rica retail operation on 1 December 2025 (the branches now run under the Davivienda / DAVIbank brand), so BoA debit users no longer get a surcharge waiver anywhere in the country. The cleanest setup for most travelers: arrive with a few hundred USD in hand for shuttles and tour deposits, then pull colones from a Banco Nacional (BNCR) or Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) ATM, the two state banks that add no operator surcharge on foreign cards.
Withdraw from a Costa Rican bank ATM
On the ground, the cheapest way to get colones is a real Costa Rican bank ATM. The two state banks, Banco Nacional de Costa Rica (BNCR) and Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), add no operator surcharge on most foreign-card withdrawals, so you pay only your home bank's fees: they are the cheapest machines in the country and also the densest in small towns and at bus terminals. BAC Credomatic has the widest tourist-town and airport network but charges roughly $5–6 per withdrawal (shown on screen before you confirm), and Davivienda (the former Scotiabank) runs about $2.50–3. A Costa Rica-specific feature: most bank ATMs let you choose between colones or USD at the screen. Take colones for sodas, taxis, and supermarkets; take USD only if you specifically need it for a tour deposit. Withdrawal caps run roughly ₡100,000–500,000 per transaction. Two procedural rules: stick to ATMs inside bank branches or supermarket vestibules in Auto Mercado and Mas x Menos rather than street-facing standalones at gas stations or in tourist plazas, and decline DCC every time the screen offers "charge in USD" at conversion. See the Best ATMs section below for the bank-by-bank lineup, or our San José money guide for neighborhood-level locations. Want to know what a BAC withdrawal will actually cost on your debit card before you leave home? Plug it into our ATM fee calculator.
Airport counters & "0% commission" booths
Three traps to skip in Costa Rica. The Global Exchange counter at SJO (Juan Santamaría) and the casas de cambio in arrivals at LIR (Liberia) advertise both colones and USD rates, but their CRC sell rate routinely runs 8–15% off the interbank rate, with a small fixed fee on top. The casas de cambio in San José's Avenida Central tourist district and the booths near Pláya Tamarindo and Jaco beachfronts use the "sin comisión" framing while burying the markup in the rate. And the standalone ATMs you'll see inside surf shops, beach hostels, and pulperías in Tamarindo, Nosara, and Santa Teresa (typically branded ATM Centroamérica or unbranded units operated by independent processors) layer aggressive DCC on top of $5–8 surcharges. Stick to bank-branded ATMs, decline DCC, pay USD only when prices are quoted in USD, and you'll dodge all three. Headed to San José? Our San José money guide walks the cleanest cash strategy.
For a side-by-side comparison of every method (bank wire, travel card, pre-order, ATM, exchange counter) including USD-to-CRC timing tips, see our complete Getting Currency guide →.
Best ATMs to Use in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's banking system is solid in cities and tourist towns. A unique feature: many ATMs here dispense both colones and US dollars, giving you the choice at the screen. Withdrawal limits for foreign cards range from ₡300,000–500,000 per transaction (roughly $570–$950 USD).
BAC Credomatic
The largest private bank in Central America and the widest network in Costa Rica, with the most reliable English interface and dual colón-and-USD dispensing. Found at both airports (SJO and LIR), shopping malls, and tourist towns including La Fortuna, Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, and Monteverde, often the only bank-branded ATM out there. The catch is the fee: about $5–6 per withdrawal, the highest of the major banks, so use it where the state banks do not reach. See our BAC Credomatic guide.
Widest NetworkBanco Nacional de Costa Rica (BNCR)
Costa Rica's largest bank, state-owned with 170+ branches and the most extensive coverage in the country, including small towns and rural areas where no other bank has ATMs. The traveler headline: as a state bank, BNCR adds no operator surcharge on most foreign-card withdrawals, making it the cheapest colón pull in the country. Many machines dispense USD too. Not inside SJO airport arrivals. See our Banco Nacional guide.
Top Pick (No Surcharge)Banco de Costa Rica (BCR)
The second state-owned bank with 100+ branches. Together with Banco Nacional, these government banks form the backbone of ATM coverage nationwide and, like BNCR, add no operator surcharge on most foreign-card withdrawals, so they are tied for the cheapest pull. Many ATMs offer USD. Reliable foreign-card acceptance. Found at bus terminals and transit hubs.
Top Pick (No Surcharge)Davivienda (formerly Scotiabank)
Scotiabank closed its Costa Rica retail operation on 1 December 2025, transferring its branches and ATMs to Colombia's Grupo Davivienda (now running as DAVIbank). Reliable foreign-card acceptance, dual colón-and-USD dispensing, about $2.50–3 per withdrawal. Important: this also ended Costa Rica's only Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partnership, so there is no surcharge-waiver bank in the country anymore. Use a no-surcharge state bank (BNCR, BCR) or a fee-refunding card instead.
Mid-FeeBanco Promerica
150+ ATMs. A well-regarded private bank growing its network across Central America. Modern, well-maintained ATMs with English option. Found in shopping centers and commercial areas. Reliable Visa and Mastercard acceptance.
Recommended⚠ Watch Out for Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)
Some ATMs and card terminals offer to charge you in USD instead of colones at a "guaranteed rate." Always decline and choose Costa Rican Colones (CRC). The DCC markup is typically 4–8%. At restaurants, tell the server "en colones, por favor" if the terminal asks. Your card network will always give you a better conversion rate.
ATMs to Avoid in Costa Rica
Stick to the major banks above. These alternatives cost more and carry greater risk.
Credit Union (Cooperativa) ATMs
Local cooperative ATMs (Coopeservidores, Coopealianza, Coopenae, etc.) frequently reject foreign cards, have very low withdrawal limits, rarely offer English, and may charge higher fees. No reason to use them when major bank ATMs are nearby.
AvoidStandalone ATMs in Tourist Areas
Unbranded machines near beach bars, souvenir shops, and hotel lobbies. Excessive fees ($5–10+ per transaction), poor exchange rates, and greater vulnerability to card skimming. If it doesn't have a recognized bank name, skip it.
AvoidAirport Exchange Counters (Global Exchange)
Exchange kiosks at Juan Santamaria (SJO) and Daniel Oduber (LIR) airports offer rates 8–12% worse than mid-market. On a $200 exchange, you lose $16–24. Walk past and use the BAC, Banco Nacional, or BCR ATMs in the arrivals hall instead.
AvoidPaying by Card in Costa Rica
Card Networks
Visa and Mastercard are universally accepted where cards are taken, which covers most tourist-facing businesses in Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio, Arenal, Jacó, and San José. American Express has limited acceptance, mainly at international hotels and larger restaurants. Discover has minimal acceptance. Visa should be your primary card.
Contactless & Mobile Payments
Tap-to-pay is expanding at modern restaurants and shops in San José's Escazú district, Multiplaza mall, and tourist towns like Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio. Apple Pay and Google Pay work at NFC-equipped terminals. Outside major tourist areas, chip-and-PIN is standard. Uber and DiDi work throughout the Central Valley and major tourist areas, charging directly to your card.
Where Cards May Not Work
Local sodas (family-run eateries serving casados) are cash-only across the country. Mercado Central in San José and farmers' markets require cash. Local and intercity buses accept only colones in cash. Official red taxis use meters in colones and expect cash. Pulperías (corner stores) in every neighbourhood are cash-only. Puerto Viejo and the Caribbean coast have growing but still limited card acceptance at many bars and restaurants.
Tipping in Costa Rica
Tipping Guide
At restaurants, a 10% service charge is automatically added to all bills by law, plus 13% sales tax. You are not obligated to tip beyond this. For excellent service, leaving an extra ₡1,000–2,000 in cash is a nice gesture. For naturalist and wildlife tour guides (Corcovado, Monteverde cloud forest, Tortuguero), $10–20 per person for group tours and $20–30+ for private tours. These guides are often highly educated biologists who earn modest salaries. Tip generously for great guiding. Adventure activity guides (zip-lining, Pacuare River rafting) receive $5–10 per person. Hotel porters get ₡500–1,000 ($1–2) per bag. Taxis: not customary. USD small bills ($1, $5) are preferred by tour guides. Colones are fine for everyone else.
Beach Towns, Jungle Lodges & Beyond: Practical Money Tips
Things to Know
For San Jose-specific tips (bus payments, Central Market cash tips, and neighborhood card acceptance), see our San Jose Money Guide.
Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo, Cahuita): significantly more cash-dependent than the Pacific side. ATMs can run out or go offline. Withdraw substantial colones in San José or Limón before heading over. Carry 3–5 days' worth of cash. Osa Peninsula: Drake Bay has no ATMs. Puerto Jiménez has ATMs that can run out during peak season (December through April). Withdraw everything you need before arriving.
Tortuguero: no ATMs and accessible only by boat or small plane. Lodges accept cards, but tips, small restaurants, and local services require cash. Monteverde/Santa Elena: ATMs available, but internet and power infrastructure is unreliable. Card terminals go offline frequently. Carry 2–3 days of backup cash. During Semana Santa (Easter week), ATMs in beach towns run out of cash when the entire country goes on vacation. Withdraw extra beforehand.
ATM tip: most Costa Rican ATMs dispense both colones and USD. Withdraw colones for everyday spending. Never withdraw USD to exchange for colones since you lose on the double conversion. Bank fees are ₡1,500–2,500 (~$3–5) per transaction. Break large ₡20,000 and ₡50,000 bills at Auto Mercado or Pali supermarkets since sodas and pulperías struggle with change.
Money Safety in Costa Rica
Staying Safe
Use ATMs inside Banco Nacional, BCR, or BAC branches during business hours. In San José, avoid standalone ATMs in the area around Mercado Central and Avenida 2 after dark. In beach towns, use ATMs at the main bank branch rather than gas station or surf-shop machines.
Petty theft is the main risk, particularly in San José, Jacó, and at crowded bus stations. Keep bags close and valuables out of sight. Use hotel safes for extra cash and backup cards. Car break-ins at trailheads (especially in Manuel Antonio and Rincón de la Vieja national parks) are common. Do not leave anything visible in your rental car.
Uber and DiDi are safer than street taxis for airport transfers and city rides. Official red taxis with meters are fine, but avoid unofficial "pirata" taxis. Casas de cambio in San José offer rates 2–4% off mid-market, but ATMs with a no-FX-fee card are simpler and comparable. Hotel front desk exchange is 5–10% worse than mid-market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I pay in colones or US dollars in Costa Rica?
If the price is quoted in USD (hotels, tours, shuttles, car rentals), pay in USD with a no-FX-fee card. If the price is quoted in colones (sodas, supermarkets, buses, taxis), pay in colones. Paying USD at a local business that prices in colones costs you 10–15% more due to unfavorable vendor exchange rates.
Do Costa Rican ATMs dispense US dollars?
Yes. Most bank ATMs (Banco Nacional, BCR, BAC, Davivienda) offer both colones and USD. Withdraw colones for everyday spending. Only withdraw USD if you specifically need dollar bills for hotel payments or tour guide tips. Never withdraw USD to exchange for colones since you lose on the double conversion.
Is there a service charge at Costa Rican restaurants?
Yes. A 10% service charge is automatically added to all restaurant bills by law, plus 13% sales tax. You are not obligated to tip beyond this. For exceptional service, leaving an extra 1,000–2,000 colones in cash is a generous gesture.
Are there ATMs in Drake Bay or Tortuguero?
No. Drake Bay and Tortuguero have no ATMs. Puerto Jimenez (gateway to Corcovado) has ATMs that can run out during peak season. Withdraw all the cash you need in San Jose or the nearest major town before heading to these areas.
How much should I tip a naturalist guide in Costa Rica?
$10–20 USD per person for group tours, $20–30+ for private guides. Costa Rica's naturalist guides are often highly educated biologists earning modest salaries. Generous tips are meaningful and appreciated. USD small bills ($5, $10, $20) are preferred.
Can I use Uber in Costa Rica?
Yes. Uber and DiDi work throughout the Central Valley (San Jose, Escazu, Heredia) and in major tourist areas. They charge directly to your card, so no cash needed. They are generally considered safer and more consistent than street taxis.
Skip the Foreign Transaction Fees
The Wise card converts your money at the real mid-market exchange rate. No markups, no surprises. Spend colónes like a local.
Get the Wise Card →Quick Comparison
| Method | Cost | Convenience | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-FX-fee card at bank ATM | Best (small local fee only) | ★★★★★ | Primary method for colones |
| No-FX-fee credit card (in USD) | Best (zero fees) | ★★★★★ | Hotels, tours, car rentals |
| USD cash (for tips/hotels) | Good (no conversion needed) | ★★★★☆ | Tips, hotel payments, remote areas |
| Airport exchange counter | Poor (8–12% off mid-market) | ★★☆☆☆ | Absolute emergency only |
Costa Rica Quick Facts
| Currency | Costa Rican Colón (CRC / ₡). USD accepted at hotels, tours, and resorts |
| Exchange Rate | ~510–530 CRC per 1 USD. Divide by 500 for quick estimate |
| ATM Feature | Many ATMs dispense both colones and USD (your choice at the screen) |
| ATM Limits | ₡300,000–500,000 per transaction (~$570–950 USD) |
| Card Acceptance | Excellent on Pacific coast and Arenal. Cash-only for buses, sodas, markets, Caribbean coast |
| Best Strategy | No-FX-fee credit card for USD-priced items. Bank ATM for colones. Some USD cash for tips |
| Tipping | 10% service charge already on restaurant bills. Tour guides: $10–20/person/day |
Costa Rica City Guides
Neighborhood-level money guides for Costa Rica's biggest cities. Where to find ATMs, which areas need cash, how to pay for transport, and more.
Costa-Rica money toolkit
Deep-dive guides for specific banks, airports, and traveler nationalities in Costa-Rica. Each one builds on this overview with card-by-card fee math, exact ATM locations, or terminal-by-terminal directions.