Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altos and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $252 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$252

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Altos and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Altos and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $252 in Altos versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Altos $252
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $375 in Altos versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Altos $375
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $498 in Altos versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Altos $498
Nosara $3,712

Living in Altos costs roughly 86% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Altos is 81% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 ₲2,783

$1.57 ₡707

-68.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ₲4,853

$3.17 ₡1,429

-73.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₲5,655

$2.42 ₡1,091

-59.09%

Eggs

$1.89 ₲10.8K

$3.57 ₡1,609

-47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 ₲34.8K

$7.43 ₡3,349

-18.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ₲20.2K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-66.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 ₲31.0K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-60.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₲13.4K

$2.32 ₡1,044

0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₲7,275

$1.61 ₡728

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₲7,800

$4.74 ₡2,138

-71.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ₲10.6K

$1.66 ₡747

11.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₲6,690

$3.72 ₡1,679

-68.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₲7,691

$3.57 ₡1,611

-62.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₲6,926

$1.10 ₡497

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₲4,964

$2.55 ₡1,149

-65.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.96 ₲5,487

$4.95 ₡2,232

-80.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₲45.1K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-60.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₲3,940

$2.79 ₡1,256

-75.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₲4,406

$3.53 ₡1,589

-78.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₲2,181

$1.19 ₡537

-68.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.91 ₲68.2K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-83.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ₲9,605

$2.24 ₡1,011

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₲4,173

$1.55 ₡701

-52.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₲6,738

$1.57 ₡708

-24.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.0K ₲109.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-12.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K ₲132.8M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-33.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$35.18 ₲201.3K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-62.35%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.84 ₲44.8K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-77.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.12 ₲80.8K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-72.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$3.49 ₲20.0K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-55.48%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.94 ₲142.7K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-53.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,524 ₲8.7M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-78.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,014 ₲5.8M

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-15.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ₲2.9M

$876 ₡395.0K

-42.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Altos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Altos

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Altos

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Altos

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altos

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Altos

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Altos

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Altos

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Altos

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

3 h behind Altos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,763

4,912

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,418 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Altos Nosara 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Altos
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Altos vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 628% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 128% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 505% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $252 in Altos versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Altos and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 628% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.