As of August 28, 2026, the dollar sells at ₡451.72 and buys at ₡446.65 according to the MONEX reference published by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR). Each bank and exchange house sets its own counter rates, usually with a wider margin; you can compare them in the per-institution table on this page.

The buy rate is what the institution pays you when you sell it dollars, and the sell rate is what it charges you when you buy dollars from it. The sell rate is always higher than the buy rate, and that gap — the spread — is the institution's margin. A narrower spread is better for you, because you lose less on the exchange.

The reference rate comes from MONEX, the wholesale currency market run by the Central Bank of Costa Rica, and from the BCCR itself. The per-institution rates are the counter rates published by each bank and exchange house. Everything is synced automatically on every business day.

It changes daily, which is why the per-institution table lists public banks, private banks, cooperatives, mutuals and exchange houses with their buy rate, sell rate and spread. If you are buying dollars you want the lowest sell rate; if you are selling dollars, the highest buy rate. Exchange houses often beat the banks, but it is worth confirming before you travel.

The BCCR reference rate is updated once per business day. Counter rates are checked several times a day, because each institution can move them during the day. Every row in the table shows the last update time reported by that institution.

Multiply the dollar amount by the sell rate if you are buying dollars, or by the buy rate if you are converting dollars into colones. The calculator on this page does it for you: enter the amount, pick an institution, and see what you actually receive at that counter's real rate.