Do You Need Cash in Costa Rica? Cards, ATMs and Colones

Yes, you need some cash in Costa Rica, but less than many travelers expect. Cards, including contactless payments, work at most hotels, supermarkets, tour operators and sit-down restaurants, and many city buses and trains now take a tap of a Visa or Mastercard. Keep colones (the local currency) for small family-run restaurants called sodas, market stalls, parking attendants, tips, rural buses and remote areas, where ATMs are scarce. Withdraw colones from a bank ATM with a debit card, carry small bills, and take enough before you head somewhere remote.

This guide is for travelers deciding how much cash to carry in Costa Rica and how to pay for everything else. It covers where cards work, where you need cash, ATMs and fees, using U.S. dollars, and the mistakes that cost travelers money.

Cash in Costa Rica	At a glance
Currency	Colón (₡), roughly ₡450–460 to $1
Cards	Widely accepted; contactless common
Need cash for	Sodas, markets, small vendors, parking, tips, rural buses
U.S. dollars	Accepted at many tourist businesses; change usually in colones
ATMs	Common in towns; scarce or absent in remote areas
ATM fees	Vary by bank; BAC charged $7.80 per foreign-card withdrawal in 2026
SINPE Móvil	Needs a Costa Rican bank account and phone line

Cards

Where Cards Work in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a card-friendly country, and digital payments keep growing. Expect to pay by card, usually contactless, at:

• Hotels, lodges and established tour operators
• Supermarkets, pharmacies and gas stations
• Sit-down restaurants in towns and tourist areas
• Rental car companies and the airport
• Uber, which charges the card in your app; see our guide to Uber in Costa Rica
• National parks, many of which now sell tickets online or take cards only at the gate

Parks are a common surprise. Manuel Antonio sells tickets online only, and recent visitors report that Marino Ballena takes cards only at the entrance. See our guide to buying park tickets on SINAC.

Buses and trains

Contactless payment is spreading on public transport. All trains run by the national railway, INCOFER, accept it, and by mid-2025 nearly 1,500 buses in the greater San José area did too. Compatible foreign Visa and Mastercard contactless cards work on participating routes. Coverage varies by route, and many rural and long-distance buses still take cash only, so carry colones. See our public bus guide.

SINPE Móvil

Costa Ricans pay each other and small businesses with SINPE Móvil, a phone-number transfer system. It requires a colón account at a Costa Rican bank and a local phone line, so most tourists can’t use it. If a vendor asks for SINPE, pay cash instead. See our explainer: can tourists use SINPE Móvil?

Cash

When You Need Cash in Costa Rica

• Sodas and street food. Some take cards or SINPE, but many small places prefer cash.
• Markets and small vendors, including farmers markets and craft stalls. See our guide to San José’s Central Market.
• Parking attendants, called guachimanes, who watch street parking for a small fee. See our parking guide.
• Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff. Restaurant bills usually already include a 10% service charge plus 13% tax. See our tipping guide.
• Rural buses and some taxis.
• Remote areas with no ATM, such as Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula.

ATMs

Using ATMs in Costa Rica

• Use a debit card. Credit card withdrawals usually count as cash advances, with extra fees and interest.
• Expect fees on both ends. Costa Rican banks may charge per withdrawal; BAC charged $7.80 per withdrawal on foreign cards as of September 2026. Your own bank may add its own fee.
• Use bank ATMs in banks, malls and supermarkets during the day. Some machines close overnight.
• Withdraw before remote trips. Drake Bay and Sierpe have no ATMs; travelers heading to Corcovado usually withdraw in Palmar Norte or another larger town. See our Corcovado guide.
• Carry a backup card on a different network in case one is declined.

If you exchange cash at a bank instead, bring your original passport; banks won’t accept a copy. Airport exchange counters are convenient but usually cost more.

Dollars

Can You Use U.S. Dollars in Costa Rica?

Yes, at many hotels, tour operators and tourist businesses, and many prices for tours and lodging are quoted in dollars. But there are trade-offs:

• Change usually comes in colones, at the business’s own exchange rate.
• Small, clean bills work best. Fives, tens and twenties are easiest; large or torn bills can be refused.
• Pay in the currency of the price. If something is priced in colones, pay in colones to avoid a poor conversion.

Other currencies, such as euros or Canadian dollars, aren’t used in shops. For details on what to bring and the coins and bills you’ll see, read our guide to the best currency to take to Costa Rica. Note that the old large ₡500 and ₡50 coins are no longer accepted in shops.

How much

How Much Cash to Carry

There’s no single right amount, but a practical approach is to keep enough colones for a day or two of small purchases, such as soda meals, tips, parking and bus fares, and to top up at ATMs in larger towns. Carry more before heading somewhere remote, and split your cash between two places. Our tips for saving money in Costa Rica cover daily costs.

Avoid

Common Cash Mistakes Travelers Make

• Assuming you need lots of cash. Cards cover most larger expenses.
• Assuming you need none. Small vendors, tips and rural buses still run on colones.
• Bringing only $100 bills, which are hard to spend.
• Accepting dollar conversion at the card machine. Pay in colones.
• Running out of cash in remote areas without an ATM.
• Using a credit card at ATMs and paying cash-advance fees.

For more trip prep, see our Costa Rica travel checklist and safety tips.

FAQ

Cash in Costa Rica: FAQ