Pay phones are easy to find and quite cheap. There is no “local” or “long distance” in Costa Rica and every call is the same rate (a few cents per minute). The whole country is a single area code and every phone number is eight digits. The first digit determines whether it’s a cell phone (7 or 8) or a landline (others). In out of the way places you’ll still find some old fashioned coin operated phones with a little slide at the top where you can line up 50 or 100 colon coins to roll into the slot as time runs out. However, most public phones now require calling card numbers. To place a call dial the toll free number on the card, enter the calling card number and the number you’re trying to reach and a computer will tell you how much credit you have remaining and connect your call.