You’re standing at a small fruit stand in the middle of a lush, humid road in La Fortuna. The smell of fresh mango is everywhere. You reach for your wallet, and suddenly it hits you: should you hand over that crisp US twenty-dollar bill or those colorful, plastic-feeling notes you just got from the ATM?
It’s the classic traveler’s dilemma. Honestly, navigating the cash scene in Costa Rica is one of those things that seems simple on paper but gets weirdly specific once you’re actually there.
The Official Currency: Meet the Colón
The official money of Costa Rica is the Costa Rican colón (plural: colones). If you want to get technical, the currency code is CRC, and the symbol is ₡—which looks like a capital "C" with two slashes through it.
It’s named after Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón in Spanish), which tells you a bit about the history. But the money itself? It’s basically a work of art. The banknotes are printed on a durable polymer (kind of like plastic) and they are honestly some of the prettiest bills you’ll ever see. They feature sloths, hummingbirds, sharks, and monkeys.
As of early 2026, the exchange rate has remained surprisingly stable. For a long time, things swung wildly, but lately, it’s been hovering around ₡490 to ₡510 per 1 US dollar.
The Quick Math Trick
If you’re like me and hate doing mental math while a line of people waits behind you, just use the "Rule of 5" for now.
Basically, think of 5,000 colones as roughly $10 USD. It’s not perfectly exact, but it keeps you from accidentally spending $40 on a sandwich. If a price is 10,000 colones, it’s about $20. Easy.
📖 Related: Seminole Hard Rock Tampa: What Most People Get Wrong
Can You Just Use US Dollars?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is... sort of.
Costa Rica is extremely "dollarized" in tourist areas. If you’re at a high-end resort in Papagayo or booking a zipline tour in Monteverde, the prices will likely be listed in USD. They’ll take your greenbacks without blinking.
But there’s a catch.
If you pay in dollars at a local soda (a small, family-run restaurant) or a grocery store, they’ll almost always give you change in colones. And here’s the kicker: they usually set their own exchange rate. If the official rate is 500 but they decide to calculate it at 450 to make the math easier, you’re essentially paying a 10% "convenience tax" without realizing it.
- Pro Tip: Use dollars for big things like hotels and tours.
- Pro Tip: Use colones for the small stuff—taxis, street food, and tips.
Breaking Down the Bills and Coins
You’ll run into these denominations constantly. The bills come in 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000. There is a 50,000 bill, but honestly? Most small shops won't even look at it. It’s like trying to buy a pack of gum with a $100 bill in the States. Avoid it if you can.
The coins are a bit of a workout. They’re heavy. The 500 colón coin is thick and gold-colored; it's worth about a buck. You’ll also see 100, 50, 25, 10, and 5 colón coins.
👉 See also: Sani Club Kassandra Halkidiki: Why This Resort Is Actually Different From the Rest
A Note on Condition: If you’re bringing US cash, the bills must be pristine. I’m serious. If there’s a tiny tear, a pen mark, or it looks like it went through a blender, most banks and shops in Costa Rica will reject it. They are incredibly picky about the physical state of US currency.
Plastic is King (Mostly)
It’s 2026, and Costa Rica has leaned hard into digital payments. You can use a credit card for almost everything now. Even some of the tiny craft stalls at the beach have those little "Tap to Pay" readers.
Visa and Mastercard are accepted everywhere. American Express is a bit hit-or-miss—fine at the Marriott, but don't count on it at the local surf shop. Discover? Forget about it.
Watch out for the "Dynamic Currency Conversion" scam. When you swipe your card, the machine might ask if you want to pay in USD or CRC. Always choose CRC (the local currency). If you choose USD, the local bank does the conversion at a terrible rate. Let your own bank at home handle the conversion; it’s almost always cheaper.
Getting Cash: The ATM Strategy
Don’t bother exchanging money at the airport. The booths there have some of the worst rates on the planet.
Instead, just hit an ATM (cajero automático) when you land. Most ATMs in Costa Rica will give you a choice: do you want colones or US dollars?
✨ Don't miss: Redondo Beach California Directions: How to Actually Get There Without Losing Your Mind
I usually grab about $100 worth of colones for the week. That covers the random parking guy, the roadside coconut, and the occasional tip.
The best banks to use are the big ones:
- Banco Nacional (the blue ones)
- BCR (Banco de Costa Rica)
- BAC Credomatic (the red ones - usually the most modern and reliable for international cards)
Just a heads up: some ATMs close at 10:00 PM for security reasons. If you’re trying to get cash in a beach town late at night, you might be out of luck until morning.
Tipping and Taxes: Don't Get Double-Charged
When you get your bill at a restaurant, look for two things: 10% servicio and 13% IVA.
The 10% is the tip. It’s legally required to be included in the bill. You don't have to tip on top of that, though most people leave a little extra (maybe another 5-10%) if the service was actually good. The 13% is the sales tax.
If the menu says "taxes and service included," the price you see is exactly what you pay. If it doesn't, expect your bill to be about 23% higher than the menu prices. It catches a lot of people off guard.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Trip
- Call your bank: Make sure they know you're in Costa Rica so they don't freeze your card the first time you buy a pipa fría.
- Check your credit card's foreign transaction fees: If your card charges 3% on every swipe, get a new one before you leave. Those fees add up fast.
- Carry "Small" Dollars: If you bring USD, stick to $1, $5, and $10 bills. Trying to break a $50 in a rural town is a headache you don't need.
- Download a Converter: Grab an app like XE Currency. It works offline, which is a lifesaver when you're deep in the jungle with zero bars of signal and trying to figure out if that souvenir is a rip-off.
The colón is more than just money; it's part of the experience. There’s something uniquely "Pura Vida" about handing over a bright blue bill with a shark on it to pay for your morning coffee. Use the plastic for the big stuff, keep some colones for the soul of the country, and you'll be just fine.