A comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the low temperature properties of GdCoIn$_5$ was performed. Specific heat, thermal expansion, magnetization and electrical resistivity were measured in good quality single crystals down to $^4$He
temperatures. All the experiments show a second-order-like phase transition at 30 K probably associated with the onset of antiferromagnetic order. Total energy GGA+U calculations indicate a ground state with magnetic moments localized at the Gd ions and allowed a determination of the Gd-Gd magnetic interactions. Band structure calculations of the electron and phonon contributions to the specific heat and Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the magnetic contributions to the thermodynamic quantities reproduce quite well the experimental data.
