Costa Rican Colones To American Dollars: Exchanging Money In Costa Rica
Nikki Solano
Costa Rican colones (bills; back)
Last updated on July 13th, 2024 at 06:03 pm
Written by Nikki Solano
Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️
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Exchanging money in Costa Rica: Helpful currency exchange charts
The exchange between Costa Rican colones and American dollars is an easy process to learn and remember. It rarely requires the use of a calculator. Before you can successfully convert any funds, however, you need to know the going currency exchange rate. In other words, you need to find out how many colones $1 USD will buy.
To view a chart that states the going currency rate for exchanging American dollars into Costa Rican colones, see this page on the Banco Central de Costa Rica’s website (see the figure in the “Tipo de Cambio Venta” column):
Once you have obtained the going currency exchange rate directly from the Banco Central de Costa Rica, you can skip to the applicable currency exchange chart provided below. We offer charts for three different scenarios:
When $1 USD = 520 colones
When $1 USD > 520 colones
When $1 USD < 520 colones
When $1 USD is equal to 520 Costa Rican colones
The following are standard charts that outline the Costa Rican colones to American dollars conversion rates when $1.00 USD is comparable at 520 colones.
Colones to dollars currency exchange chart (i.e., our standard “$1 USD to 520 colones” chart)
When $1 USD is equal to more than 520 Costa Rican colones
The following charts outline approximate Costa Rican colones to American dollars conversion rates when the value of the American dollar equals more than 520 colones.
Colones to dollars currency exchange chart when $1 USD equals more than 520 colones
Assume that the currency exchange rate is $1 USD to 540 colones. In this example, the following currency conversions would apply:
When $1 USD is equal to less than 520 Costa Rican colones
The following charts outline approximate Costa Rican colones to American dollars conversion rates when the value of the American dollar equals less than 520 colones.
Colones to dollars currency exchange chart when $1 USD equals less than 520 colones
Assume that the currency exchange rate is $1 USD to 500 colones. In this example, the following currency conversions would apply:
Currency conversion rates indicate exactly how far your money will go in Costa Rica. Take a moment to memorize or save the conversions discussed above. They can help you understand when and how much you’ll gain or lose when you exchange American dollars for Costa Rican colones. Also, don’t miss our quick currency-conversion tips offered below.
Learn how to properly convert American dollars and Costa Rican colones.
One time near Manuel Antonio, my mother unknowingly overpaid for t-shirts at a beachfront souvenir stall because she miscalculated the currency exchange rate. Luckily, the young boy who sold the shirts ran after my mom and returned the extra funds but we can’t assume every vendor in Costa Rica will act so honestly. To avoid paying more for items than is necessary in Costa Rica, retain a copy of the currency conversion charts provided in this blog post so you can rely on them whenever you need to make a purchase.
Learn how to recognize a good exchange rate from a poor one.
Always ask vendors to confirm the exact currency exchange rate that will be used when you pay for an item in a currency that differs from the currency the item is priced in. Hotels, tour operators, transportation service providers, grocery stores, souvenir stores, restaurants, and other businesses set their own exchange rates, which don’t always match the official currency exchange rates put forth by the Banco Central de Costa Rica. In some cases, businesses purposely use poor exchange rates to gouge travelers and benefit themselves. Unfortunately, most businesses won’t accept requests to use alternative rates, so the best thing you can do if you aren’t pleased with a particular rate is to take your business elsewhere. If a business needs to profit from a less-than-fair currency exchange rate, perhaps it’s best you look elsewhere anyway.
Pay in cash wherever and whenever possible.
This tip can be tricky to follow given that many hotels, tour operators, and transportation service providers in Costa Rica require advance credit card payments for reservations. (For more information on this topic, don’t miss our related blog post Paying For Your Costa Rica Trip: What Is Normal, Common, And To Be Expected.) But items that don’t need to be paid by credit card can and should be made in cash. Doing so will allow you to avoid credit card processing fees. Depending on which credit card you have, if you may even get dinged with fees twice, once for purchasing an item outside of your home country and again for purchasing an item in a foreign currency.
Locate the best place to exchange your funds.
Costa Rica offers no shortage of places where you can exchange American dollars for Costa Rican colones. However, you stand to lose a different amount of money at each. Banks, currency exchange centers, and airports can convert your funds and each will either charge you a fee to do so or will take a commission off the total conversion. If possible, compare rates and fees across exchange services to determine which provides the least monetary loss. Alternatively, skip the step altogether and keep your money in American dollars or convert only a small percentage of your travel funds to help reduce the loss. For more advice on whether or not you should exchange USD funds into Costa Rican colones, see our related blog post Spending Money In Costa Rica: What To Know About USD, Colones, Credit Cards, And More!.
Curious about tipping in Costa Rica? Don’t miss our related blog post:
Do you have questions about exchanging money in Costa Rica, want to know how much money you should exchange into colones before coming to Costa Rica, or need to know whether you should exchange any money at all? No problem! When you’re ready, make an appointment here to communicate with me (Nikki) privately and we can discuss these and other topics to get your questions answered fast and your Costa Rica trip poised for success. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂
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Summary
Article Name
Costa Rican Colones To American Dollars: Exchanging Money In Costa Rica
Description
Looking to convert colones to dollars? Use our handy dollars to colones currency exchange charts and tips to maximize understanding and minimize money loss!
