In some sense, the cost of living on the beach (rent, eating out, consumer goods) is always higher than in the Central Valley, especially if you insist on paying for the kinds of creature comforts easily accessible in urban areas. Still, in the Caribbean you’re essentially living in the countryside, so fresh, local ingredients are cheap and easy to find.

If you need fancier foods, Limón offers larger supermarkets. The European influence, of course, also contributes to making culinary life a little easier in the Caribbean. A delivery of gourmet foods including porcini mushrooms, imported Parmesan cheese, and fine meats arrives every week. You can also check out the handful of Italian butcher shops found in downtown Puerto Viejo, and there’s a well-stocked gourmet food store located just a few kilometers outside Puerto Viejo.

As far as retail, the towns have a few clothes shops, predictably aimed at the beach-going crowd, and plenty of surf shops. Other consumer goods like furniture, tools, and electronics must be purchased in Limón or the Central Valley. Puerto Viejo has a scooter-rental shop, a bank, several Internet cafes, bookstores and book exchange shops, souvenir shops, small convenience stores and a well-stocked liquor store.

Being much smaller than Puerto Viejo, Cahuita doesn’t have a bank or a post office. The usual souvenir shops and beach clothes stores line the main street, along with a medium-sized supermarket, several smaller convenience stores (or pulperías), a few Internet cafes, and a place to make photocopies and send faxes.

Unlike your beach towns in the Pacific, such as Jacó and Tamarindo, the Caribbean doesn’t have any McDonalds, Subways or Burger Kings here. Fast food here is more Caribbean in style and much more fresh.