Tipping & Money in Costa Rica: Guides & Drivers

The official currency is the Costa Rican colón, but US dollars are widely accepted in tourist areas, hotels and many tour operations. That said, you will often get a better effective rate paying in colones, and change for dollar payments is usually given in colones. Carrying a mix of both, plus a card, tends to work well: colones for small purchases and local sodas, dollars or cards for larger payments like tours and hotels.

Credit and debit cards are accepted at most hotels, larger restaurants and established tour operators, including VIVO Expeditions. Smaller sodas, local shops, some rural areas and informal vendors are more likely to be cash-only, so it is worth carrying some colones for these situations. Always ask before ordering or booking if you are unsure whether a card is accepted.

By law, most Costa Rican restaurant bills already include a 13% value-added tax and a 10% mandatory service charge, both shown as separate line items on the printed check. This service charge is distributed to restaurant staff and functions similarly to a built-in gratuity. Because of this, an additional tip at a restaurant is not expected, though leaving a little extra for exceptional service is entirely your choice and always appreciated.

ATMs are available in La Fortuna, San José, Liberia and most towns of any size, and generally dispense colones, with some also offering US dollars. Bank-affiliated ATMs tend to have more favorable fees than machines in convenience stores or hotel lobbies, so it is worth checking rates when possible. As with any destination, it is sensible to withdraw during daylight hours from machines inside banks or well-lit, attended locations.

Tipping a private guide or driver in Costa Rica is optional, not a required or fixed amount, and no reputable operator should present it as mandatory. Many visitors choose to tip when they feel the guide added real value, in a range commonly seen for private, personalized service. What matters most is that this stays a genuine, voluntary gesture of appreciation rather than an expected fee added on top of the tour price.

Build your budget around confirmed costs — tour prices, hotel rates and any transfer you have booked — rather than estimating daily cash needs from unreliable online figures. For transfers specifically, prices vary by vehicle type, distance and group size, so we always recommend requesting a written quote for your exact route rather than relying on a generic number.

Notify your bank of your travel dates before departure so international card transactions are not flagged. Keep a small reserve of colones for parks, bathrooms and small vendors that may not take cards. And keep your card and cash split between bag and person, as you would in any destination, simply as sensible practice rather than a reflection of local risk.