Rac wrote:
Mercado Central sells almost everything from soup to nuts to toilets.
The prices for everything are usually very good, especially for food...... maybe the best prices in San Jose. But the quality of goods can be sketchy. Not so with the food.....that's great.Sorry Rac but you might need to get out of the gulch and the tourists trap areas (Mercado Central) before making such a statement!!! Compared to Del Mar, the Rey, SL, and other Gringo owned places, yes it is cheaper. Compared to hundreds of other "Tico" restaurants, most in Mercado Central are about 25-50% higher and many are equally as good or better than those in the Mercado. As for fresh food (meat, veggies, and fruit) just a block north the prices are about 30% less!!! In fact for just about anything, you can find it cheaper within a block in just about any direction from the market itself!!
Look carefully before you buy......... and keep your hand on your wallet in that neighborhood. It's generally safe during the day, but it's always good to keep your street-smarts functioning.
Mercado Central encompasses an entire city block. There are MANY storefronts surrounding Mercado Central in that neighborhood. Those storefronts are good to explore, too.
Also, good quality clothing, electronics, shoes, in fact just about anything, the prices here are often higher than in the States. The import taxes here are very high and Costa Rica manufactures virtually nothing!! many items for sale here are now imported "junk" from China!! There are stores (mostly in the upscale malls) that sale good high quality clothing (Often imported from Colombia) but you will pay! It ain't cheap!! Just as in the States one of the cheapest places to buy things like electronics is WalMart because of their volume buying. But even at WalMart a TV will cost 50% more that the same TV in the States. In my opinion Costa Rica is not the place to go to shop for anything more than small local souvenirs.
The one good thing to buy and take back is the local coffee. Britt is the tourist "rip-off" brand-costs 2-3 times what the other brands cost. And many of them taste just as good and some even better than Britt. There are 3-4 places in and next to the Mercado that sale very good coffee. There are a couple of places just inside on the NW corner of the Mercado that will even pack it in sealed bags for carrying back. 1812 and Montana brands available in the groceries are also very good!
The one thing available in the Mercado at the San Cristabol restaurants (4 small places in a group just inside off Ave. Central about mid way east and west.) is the "Guanabana con leche" fruit drink. Not only does it taste great, it is very good for you. Guanabana is the only proven natural cancer inhibitor!!
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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!