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Chapter 4

Shopping & Money

Costa Rica uses colones (₡). In Cocles and Puerto Viejo, many places also accept US dollars, but you'll get a worse exchange rate. Learn to handle money in colones and you'll save significantly. Markets and street vendors may be open to some bargaining, but most shops have fixed prices.

📚 Vocabulary

el colón / los colones/el koh-LON / lohs koh-LOH-nehs/
the colon / colones (Costa Rican currency)
el dólar/el DOH-lar/
US dollar
¿Cuánto cuesta?/KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah/
How much does it cost?
¿Cuánto es?/KWAHN-toh ehs/
How much is it?
caro/a/KAH-roh/
expensive
barato/a/bah-RAH-toh/
cheap / inexpensive
¿Tiene cambio?/TYEH-neh KAM-byoh/
Do you have change?
el mercado/el mehr-KAH-doh/
the market
la tienda/lah TYEHN-dah/
the shop/store
el supermercado/el soo-pehr-mehr-KAH-doh/
the supermarket
la farmacia/lah far-MAH-syah/
the pharmacy
comprar/kom-PRAR/
to buy
vender/ven-DER/
to sell
¿Me puede dar un descuento?/meh PWEH-deh dar oon des-KWEHN-toh/slang
Can you give me a discount?
💡 Polite way to ask for a discount. Don't push it — Ticos don't love hard bargaining.
Llevo esto./YEH-voh EHS-toh/slang
I'll take this.
💡 Literally 'I'll carry this' — the natural way to say you're buying something.
Voy a pensar./BOY ah pen-SAR/
I'm going to think about it.
¿Acepta tarjeta de crédito?/ah-SEP-tah tar-HEH-tah deh KREH-dee-toh/
Do you accept credit cards?
el recibo/el reh-SEE-boh/
the receipt
la bolsa/lah BOL-sah/
the bag
los souvenirs / los regalos/lohs soo-veh-NIRS / lohs reh-GAH-lohs/
souvenirs / gifts
Diay/dee-AY/slang
Well... / So... / Hm (filler word)
💡 'Diay' (or 'idiay') is a Costa Rican filler word like 'well' or 'so' or 'oh man'. You'll hear it constantly. Saying it makes you sound very local.

📐 Grammar Notes

Numbers for Prices

You need numbers to handle money. Key numbers: uno(1), dos(2), tres(3), cuatro(4), cinco(5), seis(6), siete(7), ocho(8), nueve(9), diez(10), veinte(20), cien(100), mil(1000), dos mil(2000). Prices are said like: 'dos mil quinientos' = 2,500.

Son dos mil colones.
That's 2,000 colones.
Cuesta cinco mil quinientos.
It costs 5,500.
Le debo diez mil.
I owe you 10,000.

Using 'Tener' (To Have) for Shopping

'Tener' is an irregular verb meaning 'to have'. It's used constantly in shopping: ¿Tiene...? = Do you have...? Tengo = I have. No tengo = I don't have.

¿Tiene esto en azul?
Do you have this in blue?
¿Tiene algo más barato?
Do you have something cheaper?
No tengo suficiente dinero.
I don't have enough money.
Tengo un billete de diez mil.
I have a 10,000 colon bill.

🗣️ Key Phrases

¿Dónde puedo comprar...?
Where can I buy...?
¿Tiene esto en otro color/talla?
Do you have this in another color/size?
Solo estoy mirando, gracias.
I'm just looking, thanks.
¿A cómo está el tipo de cambio?
What's the exchange rate?
Pago en efectivo.
I'll pay in cash.
Me da la vuelta en colones, por favor.
Give me change in colones, please.
¿Tiene algo típico de aquí?
Do you have something typical from here?

💬 Sample Dialogue

V
Vendor
Buenas, ¿qué busca?
Hi, what are you looking for?
Y
You
Solo estoy mirando. ¿Cuánto cuesta este collar?
I'm just looking. How much is this necklace?
V
Vendor
Son ocho mil colones.
It's 8,000 colones.
Y
You
Diay, está un poco caro. ¿Me puede dar un descuento?
Hmm, that's a little expensive. Can you give me a discount?
V
Vendor
Bueno, le dejo en siete mil, mae.
Okay, I'll leave it at 7,000, dude.
Y
You
Listo, llevo esto. ¿Acepta tarjeta?
Alright, I'll take this. Do you accept cards?
V
Vendor
No, solo efectivo.
No, cash only.
Y
You
Está bien. Aquí tiene diez mil.
That's fine. Here's 10,000.
V
Vendor
Gracias. Le doy tres mil de vuelta.
Thanks. I'll give you 3,000 change.
🎯

Ready to practice?

You're at a small artisan market in Puerto Viejo. A vendor named Roxana is selling handmade jewelry and local crafts. Browse, ask about prices, try to negotiate, and make a purchase.

Start Conversation Practice →