www.CostaRicaTicas.com

How much cash will be allowed in without raising eyebrows at customs? I prefer to use cash over credit cards. I am planning on doing the tourist stuff like fishing charters and volcanos, as well as SJ nightlife.

Also, I heard that preferred denominations are $20's, is that true?

I would say over 10,000 they will ask questions and this is on the form you fill out entering the country!

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I AM a Cien boy + Propina!

First, use colones not dollars for everything (except, maybe, the fishing).

In bars, in restaurants, whatever, when you pay in dollars the establishment will convert at their rate (often ¢500 to $1 since it's easy math). With the current rate at ~ ¢560 to $1, that's over 10% loss per transaction.

Big ticket items (fishing charter) should be paid as they are billed, in exact change - either before you leave the US (check or wire) or by credit card there. Our guests pay our US LLC prior to coming (yes, I've had drop ins but this really isn't a drop in place)

If you draw colones from, say, Scotiabank ATMs, you can get at least ¢200k a day.

See what rate your bank will give you.

And what will you do when you get robbed?

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

Depends on how long you go for.

Customs doesn't directly ask how much you are bringing in, so no worries there. On the immigration form, there's a question if you are bringing in more than $10k. But you won't need that much.

If you want to live it up, I'd say that $400/day, excluding hotel and airfare, would be a really good time. Tours/excusrsions (zip lines, ATV, volcano tours, rain forest, etc) run on average about $100/person. If I remember, fishing charter could be upwards of $800-1000 for a full day.

Paying in dollars or colones depends on how you are charged. If they charge you in dollars which will happen frequently, pay in dollars. If they charge you in colones pay in colones. It doesn't hurt to ask what the cost is in colones if you are quoted dollars. I know of at least one establishment that charges less if you pay in colones but generally quotes Americans in dollars. Other locations give a discount to pay in dollars. It can be confusing.

Every time I get quoted a price in dollars I ask "In colones?" and it's usually / always lower.

Example - "$20" "And in colones?" "10 mill!"

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Any opinion or observation in the post above is purely presented for entertainment purposes and does not promote "sexual tourism" or "human trafficking". The laws of Costa Rica apply to all activities in Costa Rica. No warranty is expressed or implied. Void where prohibited by law. Your experience, observations or perspective may be different.

In exile in pu*sy prison

Ask the establishment (hotel, golf course, fishing, etc.) if they charge in dollars. If so, there is no extra fee to use your credit card. Just like buying something in the States. For me, if it was in colones, my credit card would charge a big fee.
I let my bank know I was heading to CR, and the fee to withdraw colones at the ATM was minimal. I used the ATM at the INS Building by Sportsmens Lodge. Took out 285,000 per time. About $500.
Regarding your question about $20, most of the girls I saw were at Sportsmen's. They preferred USD. Since I was able to agree to 60 or 80 per session, it was good to have a few hundred in 20's. Many girls ask for 100, so if you have Benjamins, they will gladly take them. I did that a few times.
At the massage parlors throughout town, you can find some real gems. It is a great deal, and they take colones. So, you really don't need to bring thousands of dollars in cash. You can use a mix of ATM for cash and credit cards at certain locations. I also heard you can get USD 20 bills from some ATMs if you wanted to.

I think you are leaving money on the table if you pay chicas in dollars, i always offer in colones* unless its the last day if the trip and i mix in some USD instead of scrounging for more colones. I know thats nitpcking, but its about 10% difference which adds up over several transactions.

*with that said, i was wasted one night at the DR and offered a chica '80' and in my mind i was thinking dollars. She was by my side for the next hour before we finally left for SL. Afterwards i gave her 40 mil colones and she hit the roof insisting i told her 80 mil colones. At some point 10 min later i realized i phucked up on the initial negotiation and maybe i did offer that in colones. She then also realized i meant dollars and we came to an agreement after she finally calmed down from her tasmanian devil tantrum.
And this is why i always reiterate on final negotiation 'colones, si?, 40 mil esta bien?' And get their confirmation.

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Entertainment purposes only, nothing posted above is true nor reflects reality nor my experience.

That's a good point about currency. With the exception of chicas, the rule of thumb is to pay in the currency that the price is quoted in. if the price is quoted in dollars, it's usually better to pay in dollars to avoid doing a currency exchange because most likely they will convert at at a spread above the going rate. If the exchange rate is 560, they may convert at 600 which is 7% extra. Same with a prices in colones (MP, restaurant, strip club, etc). They may convert it back to dollars at 500 which would be a 11% hit. (¢50,000 may be converted to $100 when it's really about $89).

I think that the majority of chicas think the exchange rate is static at 500, some know it moves but they are too lazy (or not smart enough) to be able to calculate it, and 1% actually know how to correctly calculate it.

I think most of the girls know the exchange rate pretty well. When they negotiate it's the guys that often say...well if you want $80 US then I'll give you 40K colones.... and the girls know this...hence prefer just getting the US bucks. But if you give them $45 K (for $80 dollars) you're very close and the girl will know that you know..and everything is good. Or she'll do the math and ask you for 50K....

I find there's no rule of thumb that works...some hotels ask you for dollars...but convert back to colones at an unfavorable rate ... or vice versa.

Best just to know your conversion rates (buy/sell) or always just pay with colones.

Some places will charge you in dollars but it will still cost you a conversion rate. You pay in dollars, they run it through in colones, then your bank and/or credit card company charges you to convert to dollars. That can add up. You have to ask to know how it goes. Often there's a straight extra percentage added just to use a credit card as well.

Last trip, I bought $1,200 worth of colones before I left plus
an extra $1,000 in cash- 50s work well. Next trip, I will have my bank exchange $2,000 and take no dollars...

I take 2 debit cards and plan accordingly if I need extra money. Of course, taking money from ATM in Colones is a no brainer.

I pay colones for EVERYTHiNG. Sometimes I use credit card for hotel.

I used to be skeptical or afraid of giving chicas colones until,I finally acquiesced- surprisingly most chicas never blink an eye when you give them 40,000 colones instead of $80.

Try it, you’ll like it.

That’s a 9 dollar savings

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No advice, tourist or travel promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided compensation (monetary or otherwise) for this potentially entertaining contribution

I've had more than one Chica tell me that to pay in Colones I have to "divide by 2". Never had a complaint for giving them 40k for 80usd or 50k for 100usd. Always pay in Colones.

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If you see me at the bottom, please bring me my running shoes!

Guess my experience must have been with the smarter ones. But having said that...mostly I just negotiate in colones and pay in colones... so it doesn't always come up.