What Are Your Measurements in Costa Rica? - SRS-CR: Summerland Relocation Services

If you have spent any time traveling anywhere in the world, you will notice that things like mileage, temperature, weighing produce, electricity or land measurement might be quite different from what you are used to. Obviously the same goes for traveling or living in Costa Rica.

Because Costa Rica is so close in proximity to the United States you will find that you can often get an American translation for your needs. For example, you can pretty easily find an American made stove which means it will function on Fahrenheit numbers. However, if you go with something that has been manufactured locally you will have to be accustomed to Celsius numbers. Depending on where you come from in the world, this might determine what you buy.

Fortunately, all you need is an internet connection to Google a translation these days, but we thought it would be helpful to list various measurements here that are used in Costa Rica so that you know what to expect.

Currency:

Colones are used in CR. An easy Google search will provide conversion for the currency of your country, but to give you an idea $1 U.S. dollar is equal to 560 colones. Of course this fluctuates on a regular basis, so it is good to check right before converting to colones.

Distance:

Kilometers are used in CR. This comes in particularly handy when asking for directions! You will usually be told how far away something is in terms of kilometers. One mile is equal to 1.609 kilometers. For easy conversion access use the following link:

https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/length/km-to-mile.html

Land Size:

Hectares are used in CR. This is particularly helpful to know when purchasing land. While hectares are used in other parts of the world, there are many who use acres. Square meters are also often used. See “House Size” below for information on square meters. One hectare is equal to 2.47105 acres.If you Google “hectare to acre” for calculating.

House Size:

Square meters are used in CR. Obviously this is helpful to know when buying a home or sizing one up for rent. Many other countries use square feet. One square meter is equal to 10.7639 square feet. Google “square meters to feet” for calculating.

Temperature:

Celsius is used in CR to determine the temperature. Good to know for weather and cooking. Zero degrees Celsius is 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Weight:

Kilograms are used in CR. This is particularly helpful when going to the butcher or buying produce. One kilo of ground beef ordered in the U.S. is a much different portion than one kilo of ground beef ordered in Costa Rica: One kilogram equals 2.20462 pounds!

Electricity:

Kilowatt hours is what is used to measure how much electricity one uses in Costa Rica.  More importantly, they are on a 110-volt, 60 cycle electricity just like in the United States and the 2 pronged flat-type outlets are used, also like the U.S.