how much to tip? | colones or dollars? | not culturally acceptable?
What About the Tip Included in Restaurant Bills?
When you go to your automobile mechanic you receive an itemized bill for parts and labor. Similarly when you go to a restaurant in Costa Rica you get a bill for food and a “service tax” of 10% is added for the labor. It’s not dependent on the quality of the service and it isn’t even called a tip.
¿ Is tipping insulting or culturally inappropriate in Costa Rica ?
Absolutely not. Tipping is normal and appreciated in all aspects of the tourism industry.
Historically, tipping was was limited to a few situations. Over 30 years ago we learned from our Tico friends that it was customary to tip gas station attendants and the guys who watch your car while it’s parked.
Tips at service stations had all but disappeared by the early 2020s as drivers just wanted to get in and out, but the tips for guarding cars had grown into a serious industry.
As a Costa Rican custom, tipping grew with the tourism industry – masseuses, naturalist guides, drivers, wait staff, cleaners, boat hands and captains, concierges and others all rely on tips to make a living. Leaving the change or a small addition to the 10% service fee in restaurants was always normal and most Ticos we know now also tip when on vacation.
Is tipping required in Costa Rica?
No. Except for restaurants where a 10% “service tax” is added, tipping is optional.
Statements like “tipping is culturally inappropriate in Costa Rica” or “Ticos are proud, don’t offend them by tipping” usually come from “experts” trying to demonstrate how culturally aware they are or attempting to assuage their guilt over stiffing the waitress. As noted above it might have been true 30 or 40 years ago but not now.
Tipping may not historically be a big part of Costa Rican culture but neither is tourism. Tourism has brought money, better infrastructure, jobs, etc but it’s also driven up the cost of living considerably while wages remain low. With a minimum wage around $US2 an hour but the cost of groceries the same as up north and things like electricity, gas, vehicles and appliances twice as expensive, tips are not only not offensive, they are greatly appreciated.
Gratuities are expected and necessary income for anyone employed in the tourism industry and that includes a tip of 10-15% in addition to the 10% service fee when the wait staff provides good service.
how much to tip? | colones or dollars? | not culturally acceptable?
How Much Do You Tip in Costa Rica?
If your guide, instructor, driver or service staff made your stay particularly enjoyable consider giving them a gratuity.
Many activities will have a tip jar or box. Otherwise you can hand the tip to the guide/driver/instructor and if you are assisted by multiple guides they’re good about splitting it up.
If you’re not sure then 10% is reasonable.
- Bartenders/Cocktail Waitresses 5-15%
- Naturalist guides $10 per guest when in a larger group, $10-50 per guest in a smaller group.
- Adventure Guides (zip-line, rafting, canyoneering etc.) maybe a bit more than a tour guide since they hold your life in their hands…
- Instructors (surf, SUP, kayak, horseback etc.) $10-20 for individual or couple, $5-10 per guest in a group.
- Drivers $2-5 per passenger for assisting with luggage or providing interesting commentary during the drive or 5-10% for longer trips or better entertainment.
- Bellhops $2-5 unless you have a ton of luggage then increase accordingly.
- Masseuse or Spa Services – a massage can vary from $25 for 30 minutes on the beach to $280 for two hours with hot rocks in an aromatherapized spa setting with views of the volcano so maybe $5-$50.
- Housekeeping $5-10 per night for a hotel or lodge room and double it for kitchens or extra bedrooms (envelopes are usually provided).
- Gas Station Attendant – all stations are full service and before credit cards it was traditional for the attendant to wash your windows, check your oil etc. and receive a couple hundred colones coins ($0.30) from the change. We’ve had everything from no extras (obviously no tip) to a couple of guys with sponges, hoses and squeegees basically doing a quickie car wash on a mud encrusted Land Cruiser in under five minutes ($5-$10).
- Parking lot Attendant – $1-$2, keep in mind these guys are almost never official, bought their orange vest at WalMart and may or may not be in on it if your car is actually robbed or vandalized which makes the whole thing more like extortion than a service but it is what it is. Some of them are supporting a family.
- Tractor that pulls you out of the mud when you get your rental car stuck in a river ford – $50 minimum but could be up to a couple hundred bucks…
It would be wonderful if we lived in a world where everyone received a living wage for a day’s work but we don’t. We’ve actually seen little messages at hotels that more or less say “We don’t pay our staff a living wage so if you don’t want them to starve please give a generous tip.” It’s a bit of a conundrum because my gut response is “how incredibly offensive, I’m not leaving a cent,” but then of course that’s just punishing the worker who doesn’t set the policy anyway.
The best way I’ve found to deal with it is simply decide ahead of time what to do (based roughly on the list above) and not give it any further thought unless someone goes out of their way and deserves even more.
how much to tip? | colones or dollars? | not culturally acceptable?
Which is better, Colones or U.S. Dollars?
It doesn’t matter.
Especially if you are generous the recipient could care less whether the tip is in Costa Rican colones, dollars or a mix of both. Other international currencies are problematic and expensive to exchange on a small scale like a tip but dollars are the second currency of Costa Rica. Most ATMs will dispense colones and dollars, locals have bank accounts in both currencies, the government uses dollars for things like rates for national park admissions and some taxes etc., so either one is fine for tipping.
how much to tip? | colones or dollars? | not culturally acceptable?
When is a 10% tip really 22.3%?
If you add 10% to a restaurant bill in Costa Rica then the total tip you’re leaving is really 22.3%. You’re not just tipping on the tab, you’re also tipping on the tax and and tipping on the service fee that’s already been included.
If you really want to see the math the bill for a hamburger (¢5,000) and a beer (¢2,000) would look like this
¢5,000 – hamburger
¢2,000 – beer
¢700 – Service 10%
¢963 – Sales Tax 13.75%
¢8,663 Total
10% of the total is ¢866 and if you divide that by the ¢7,000 price of the hamburger and beer you get 12.3% but don’t forget you already included 10% service…So what you thought was a 10% tip adds up to 10% + 12.3% = 22.3%
how much to tip? | colones or dollars? | not culturally acceptable?