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At some point you’ll probably want to investigate the local stores in your area to see what souvenirs are on offer. You may want to take some trinkets home for your family and friends. Shopping in Costa Rica isn’t about high-end retail brands. It’s about local economies and merchants selling their wares. It’s a very traditional way of shopping, especially if you’re outside cities like San Jose.
Here's your guide to what works, and doesn't, when it comes to shopping in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica didn't used to be known for its high prices. However the rise of the tourist trade has changed this in more recent years. If you came here thirty years ago everything would cost but a fraction of what it does in the UK or the US. Now, you can see prices steadily creeping up and frequently goods and services here now cost the same as they would cost you back home. If you know how to save money in Costa Rica, you can avoid many of the tourist traps cleverly poised to take more of your money.
