Santa Teresa vs Tulum
💰
Tulum saves you $500/month
📶
Santa Teresa has 2x faster internet
🛂
Costa Rica offers a digital nomad visa
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Santa Teresa
Tulum
Total Budget
$3,000/mo
$2,500/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$1,200/mo
$900/mo ✓
Coworking
$170/mo ✓
$200/mo
Meal Out
$10 ✓
$15
Coffee
$5
$4 ✓
Tulum is $500/mo cheaper (20% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇨🇷 Santa Teresa
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🇲🇽 Tulum
📶 Internet25 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Santa Teresa
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days265/year
Best months: February, January, March
Tulum
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days183/year
Best months: February, April, May, January
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
26°24°
Apr
27°27°
Jul
26°28°
Oct
25°26°
Santa TeresaTulum
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇨🇷Santa Teresa
🇲🇽Tulum
💰
Monthly Budget
$3,000
$2,500
Winner📶
Internet Speed
50 Mbps
Winner25 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.8/5
3.5/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4/10
4.2/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
8/10
🚶
Walkability
4/10
4/10
👥
Community
medium
medium
1
Santa Teresa wins
vs
1
Tulum wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Tulum
$500/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇨🇷Santa Teresa
Pros
- +World-class surf breaks and consistent waves
- +Stunning sunsets and pristine beaches
- +Thriving yoga and wellness community
- +Growing digital nomad scene with coworking spaces
Cons
- −Very expensive compared to rest of Costa Rica
- −Frequent power outages especially in rainy season
- −Remote location - 5 hours from San Jose
- −Need ATV or rental car to get around
🇲🇽Tulum
Pros
- +Stunning beaches and cenotes
- +Wellness and yoga scene
- +Growing nomad community
- +Beautiful Mayan ruins
Cons
- −Very expensive for Mexico (3-4x)
- −Unreliable internet (5-25 Mbps)
- −No Uber - expensive taxis ($15-40)
- −Sargassum seaweed season