This is something that people always want to know. What's the cost of living like in Costa Rica? It's really not as simple of an answer as one would think since the answers can vary quite a bit depending on whereabouts you are situated in the country. I'll answer based on our experiences (so far) being in Guanacaste - arguably the hottest and driest climate in the country, and likely the most touristy which may cause some of the costs to be a little inflated compared to other areas in the country. Here goes...
Internet:
We have an internet plan with 100 Mbps download speed and unlimited data for right around $30 USD per month
Mobile phone:
When it comes to mobile phones we chose to just buy a SIM card and pre-load for minutes/data whenever we are running low. So far have spent maybe $5 USD per month on one phone.
Water:
This one had me a little worried since we didn't really know what to expect for a monthly bill considering we have a pool. Well, turns out even with a pool our monthly water bill has been right around $12 USD per month (keep in mind we have very little landscaping at the moment so there is no irrigation going on to keep plants alive).
Electricity:
I'm not going to lie, the cost of electricity was keeping me up at night until we finally got our first couple of bills. A few things to consider: we have all LED lights in our house, an efficient water pump for the pool, high-efficiency appliances, and also have four mini-split A/C units throughout the house. It's important that I mention that we are also being careful with our electricity usage, especially with the A/C units, but even with it being the driest (and hottest) time of the year, our electricity bill is averaging about $155 USD per month. I'm sure if we kept the A/C going non-stop, the monthly cost would jump much higher than I care to know.
Obviously, there are more bills to pay than what I've listed, and I'll get to those in the coming month or so as we get a better idea of some of the costs (insurance, groceries, etc). Also, stay tuned for a big announcement in the coming days!
