The practical money stuff is what guests email about most, so here's the straight version: what currency to carry, when to use cards, how tipping works, and how to get your phone online. Nothing fancy, just the answers guests actually need.
Colones and dollars
Costa Rica's currency is the colón (plural colones, symbol ₡). The rate moves, but ₡500 to one US dollar is a useful mental shortcut; check the day's rate before you travel. US dollars are widely accepted in tourist areas, including Sámara, so you can absolutely get by with dollars. Two things to know: you'll often get a slightly worse effective rate paying in dollars, and your change usually comes back in colones. Carry some of both. Small colón bills are gold for sodas, the feria, taxis, and tips.
Cards and cash
Cards (Visa and Mastercard especially) work at most hotels, sit-down restaurants, tour operators, and the supermarket. Where you need cash: sodas, the feria, small shops, some taxis, and tips. There are ATMs in town; they dispense colones and sometimes dollars. A few tips that save headaches:
- Tell your bank you're traveling so the card doesn't freeze on the first purchase.
- Decline the "charge in your home currency" offer at card terminals and ATMs (dynamic currency conversion). Always choose to be charged in colones; the machine's rate is worse.
- Bring a card with no foreign transaction fee if you have one.
- Use ATMs at banks in daylight, and grab cash before a beach-hop day since the small beaches have nothing.
Tipping (it's easier than you think)
Restaurants add a 10% service charge by law, so a tip is already on the bill. Rounding up or leaving a little extra for great service is appreciated, not required. For guides and drivers, a tip per family per day is normal and genuinely valued; tip what the experience was worth to you. Housekeeping, a little something. There's no aggressive tipping culture here, so don't overthink it.
Getting your phone online
For a SIM, the main carriers are Kölbi (often the safest bet for rural coverage, which matters on the back roads), Claro, and Liberty. You can buy a prepaid tourist SIM at the airport or in town with your passport, and top it up at supermarkets and pharmacies. If your phone supports eSIM, a travel eSIM you set up before you fly is the no-hassle option; you land already connected. Either way, at the villa you're on our Starlink-plus-fiber WiFi, so you really only need cell data for when you're out and about.
A few last practical bits
Tap water at the villa is filtered and safe (whole-house filtration plus RO drinking water), so skip buying cases of plastic. Keep your passport secure; a photo of it on your phone is a smart backup. And spots deep in the tourist zone run pricier than a soda two streets back, same as anywhere.
Sort the money basics before you fly and the rest of the trip gets easy. Check availability at Villas Dualis and book direct, or write us at stay@villasdualis.com with any practical question. Straight answers, booking or not.