How do locals afford groceries?

With the average Costa Rican making $800 to $1200 a month, you may ask yourself how do locals afford groceries at all? The answer to that question is really twofold. First of all, Costa Rica families continue to live together even when their children become adults. This means that in the most traditional examples, multiple income streams are available to foot the bill. The other, and probably most important reason is how locals shop. It is rare that they purchase processed or ready to eat items. The staples in the Costa Rica diet are price controlled. They shop local brands that they are familiar with and buy the “Jack’s”version of their snacks as opposed to Doritos’. Your more expensive meats and cheeses are sides as opposed to the entrees of a plate meaning less is needed for a meal.

Tax is Usually Included…..but not always.

13% is the standard sales tax in Costa Rica. While most staple items have all taxes included in their price, other processed items or general merchandise do not. This became especially apparent after the new tax law (VAT) went into place when shopping at the membership store PriceSmart. When we visit these stores we have a budget as we only go once per month, and keeping a running total of our expenditures is how we meet it. The last two times we noticed that our total was off due to sales tax not being included in the list price.

Paying in Dollars or Colones?

One of the most common questions we get is “Will I be charged more if paying for things in Dollars”. The answer to this is typically No. Most places accept dollars and will have a posted exchange rate. This exchange rate, especially at the larger retailers, will closely match the rate at the banks if not be the exact number. Local retailers want and need your business so there is no need to worry about being taken advantage off when it comes to the exchange rate.

Quality and Selection:

You will notice a wide range in both quality and selection as you visit local grocery stores. Hopefully that last statement didn’t scare you. Quality is a fairly subjective term. Grocery stores in the US reject 25% of their produce before it hits their shelves. This means that every tomato is perfectly ripe and nearly of identical size. While larger retailers in Costa Rica adopt this method it isn’t universal across all stores.

Selection is another point of contention. You will find that the retailers and supermarkets with the greatest selection are also typically the most expensive. I had to laugh the last time I visited a supermarket in the United States and there was an entire aisle devoted entirely to milk. You could get milk from just about everything with so many options in flavors and variations that it was overwhelming. AutoMercado is the most well known supermarket in the country with regards to vast selection but you are going to pay for that option as we explore below. We typically limit our trips to AutoMercado unless we need a specific item or are trying to follow an exact recipe we found on Pinterest.

Local Brands vs U.S. Brands:

There are local brands for the equivalent of just about every brand you are familiar with. Unfortunately we have been grocery shopping for so long that we are pre-programmed to seek out our favorites, and this can be punishing to our wallets when abroad. Not only will you typically save money by buying local brands you will be exposed to a variety of things you aren’t familiar with that may just become household favorites.

What’s different about Supermarkets in Costa Rica?

Almost No 24 Hour markets:

If you have enjoyed the Wal-Mart Super Centers of your area back home you won’t find them here. For the most part we roll up the sidewalks at 9 to 10 pm.

Milk on the shelf?

Most of the common brands of milk are shelf stable due to ultra high temperature pasteurization. This was strange to me at first, but now I find it rather convenient. This means that milk can be kept on the shelf for truly extended periods of time. If this isn’t something that you are comfortable with it might be a good idea to befriend a local producer and get your supply straight from the source.

Sour cream & Cream cheese:

The taste of these common items are going to be different than what most of you are accustomed to. The sour cream (natilla) for the most part is going to be quite a bit more "liquidy" than your favorite brand at home that kept its shape when you spooned it from the container. Cream cheese is another item that is noticeably different. While Philadelphia brand is available at AutoMercado, Wal-Mart and others  it is going to cost you more. The consistency and taste is slightly different from the local producers but it is excellent, and now we opt for the Dos Pinos brand.

Deposits on Bottles:

While this relates almost exclusively to beer, when you purchase certain types of bottled beer there is a deposit for the glass bottle that must either be paid or empties supplied. Much the same way propane gas is sold, you exchange your cylinder. You will also find these bottles for popular soft drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. If your soft drink is in a glass bottle it is probably recyclable.

What things should you bring with you?

If you have any kind of special diet you should most certainly try to bring with you those items. Costa Rica is getting better and better all the time with selection but those with certain dietary needs may be disappointed with the choices. If you prefer a special type of salt, or sugar alternatives these would be good choices to also find their way into your suitcase.

Personal Care Items:

Personal Care items are some of the most expensive. This would include makeup, sunscreen, shampoo, skin care, and hair products. We have found that in most cases these items are at least double and in some cases 3x the price of what you can get them for in the States and Canada.

Holiday Favorites and Specialty Items:

You can find a turkey or a Christmas ham but unlike North American retailers that cut these prices drastically during the holidays in an effort to earn your business , you wont find that same mentality in Costa Rica. If your looking for cherry pie filling it is going to be expensive and only available at the largest retailers. In short, if you want something special you are far better off bringing it. This year we attempted to make Chex Mix for Christmas and couldn’t find the appropriate cereals, the year before we had a craving for canned cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving and again came up short.

Liquor? Buying Duty Free - Tainted Alcohol

You may or may not have heard in the news in 2019 that there was  “tainted alcohol” being sold in Costa Rica. While true, and a few dozen people were affected by this, it wasn’t something that your average expat or tourist would run into. None of these poisonous goods were sold in supermarkets or by reputable local retailers.

Costa Rica Farmers Markets

Every area has its own farmers market and to find out when and where it is you need only ask a local resident. This is typically referred to as “La Feria del Agricultor”.  At these markets you will find a great selection of

fresh vegetables and fruits, of which some you won’t recognize. Give things a try, ask people their favorite ways to eat the unique local produce.

Depending on the size of the farmers market, you will also find a variety of finished goods like snacks, ready to eat treats, cheeses, and other products. Even though every area has their own “feria” you will need to ask about the times. Sometimes they are about 36 hours long with a pre-evening opening and running through the next day. Normally these will take place on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Probably the most popular farmers market is held in the capital city of San Jose. You can find it in Barrio Aranjuez on Saturday mornings. Regardless of the area that you have chosen to reside or visit a “local market” surely isn’t far off.

When you visit the market it is beneficial to bring a rolling, open top bag of some kind. The lighter the better. You typically don’t want this to be too big as you will inevitably find yourself filling it and ending up with more produce that what you can conceivably use in a week time period. The attractive prices at these markets make it easy to load up and then your faced with the challenge of how to use all that produce.