Were to Find Affordable Foods

A wide variety of delicious tropical fruits and vegetables grow in Costa Rica. It is amazing that every fruit and vegetable you can think of besides some exotic native varieties flourish here. More common tropical fruits such as pineapples, mangoes and papayas cost about a third of what they do in the United States. Bananas can be purchased at any local fruit stand or street market for about five cents each.

Once you have lived in Costa Rica you can do as many Costa Ricans do and eat a few slices of mouth-watering fruit for breakfast at one of the many sidewalk fruterías or fruit stands all over the country. For people living on a tight budget, this healthy, fresh fruit breakfast will cost about 50 or 60 cents. There are also many sodas, or small cafes, where you can eat a more typical Costa Rican breakfast for around a dollar.

Besides fruits and vegetables, many other bargain foods are available in Costa Rica. Bakeries sell fresh homemade breads and pastries. Other foods such as eggs, chicken, meat and honey are available at most small neighborhood grocery stores, pulperías, as well as large supermarkets. These supermarkets are much like markets in the U.S.; everything is under one roof, but the selection of products is smaller. There are even 24-hour mini-markets in gas stations like the 7-Eleven, Circle-K types found in the U.S.

Some imported packaged products found in Costa Rican supermarkets can be expensive. It is usual to pay more for your favorite breakfast cereal, certain canned foods or liquor. Don't worry because there are local products to substitute for your favorite U.S. brand. However, if you absolutely cannot live without your foods from the States, you can usually find them at Yaohan, at the Auto Mercado supermarkets and Hipermás stores. You stock-up on these items on shopping trips to the States and bring them back with you by plane.

Since most foods are so affordable in Costa Rica, you will be better off changing your eating habits and buying more local products so you can keep your food bill low. You can save more money by shopping at the Central Market in Heredia or the one in San José, Mercado Central, as many cost-conscious Costa Ricans do. The latter covers a whole city block in the heart of downtown San José, near the banking district. Under one roof are hundreds of shops where you can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and much more. You can also go to an open-air street market found in most every large town, called feria del agricultor, on any Saturday or Sunday morning. Farmers bring their fresh produce to these street markets each week, so you can find a variety of produce, meats and eggs at low prices. There is a weekly list that appears in La Nación newspaper listing the suggested prices of all fruits and vegetables sold at the various ferias.

A few words about Costa Rica's excellent seafood. With oceans on both sides, Costa Rica has a huge variety of fresh seafood. Tuna, dorado, corvina, abound as well as lobster, shrimp of all sizes and some crab. All of these can be purchased at any pescadería (fish market) in and around San José's Central Market at low prices. While you're there, try a heaping plate of ceviche (fish cocktail) at one of the many fish restaurants called marisquerías. Typical Costa Rican food is similar to that of Mexico and other Central American countries. Tortillas often, but not always, are eaten with a meal of rice, beans, fruit, eggs, vegetables and a little meat. The most common dish gallo pinto, is made with rice and black beans as a base and fried with red bell peppers and cilantro. Some other popular Costa Rican foods include: casado the blue-plate special in Spanish (fish, chicken, or meat with beans and chopped cabbage), empanadas (a type of stuffed bread turnover), arreglados (a kind of sandwich) and palmito (heart of palm), which is usually eaten in salads.

The major supermarkets in the Central Valley are: Periférico (several locations in the San José area), Más por Menos (a large chain), Auto Mercado (upscale with home delivery service), Yaohan (a specialty supermarket) and Palí Supermercados (discount warehouses). Mega Super Is the newest chain with huge stores virtually all over the Central Valley.