Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arima and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Arima: $1,300 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Arima
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Arima Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Arima

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,300

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arima 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 Arima and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,300 per month in Arima vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Arima $1,300
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,187 per month in Arima vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Arima $2,187
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,075 per month in Arima vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Arima $3,075
Nosara $3,712

Arima is about 29% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Arima sits 3% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 TTD 69.9

$12.22 ₡5,509

-14.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 TTD 504

$60.2 ₡27.1K

24.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.08 TTD 61.1

$7.54 ₡3,399

20.42%

Cappuccino

$3.75 TTD 25.24

$4.31 ₡1,941

-12.99%

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

$1.04 TTD 6.98

$1.72 ₡773

-39.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 TTD 4.81

$1.35 ₡608

-47.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 TTD 12.70

$3.24 ₡1,459

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 TTD 20.05

$4.48 ₡2,018

-33.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 TTD 16.56

$1.57 ₡707

56.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 TTD 16.02

$3.17 ₡1,429

-24.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 TTD 19.64

$2.42 ₡1,091

20.66%

Eggs

$4.41 TTD 29.69

$3.57 ₡1,609

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.60 TTD 44.39

$7.43 ₡3,349

-11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 TTD 44.43

$10.42 ₡4,697

-36.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.03 TTD 60.7

$13.66 ₡6,156

-33.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 TTD 37.46

$2.32 ₡1,044

140.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 TTD 15.17

$1.61 ₡728

40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 TTD 24.73

$4.74 ₡2,138

-22.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 TTD 32.50

$1.66 ₡747

190.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 TTD 8.87

$3.72 ₡1,679

-64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 TTD 6.43

$3.57 ₡1,611

-73.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 TTD 9.43

$1.10 ₡497

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 TTD 6.36

$2.55 ₡1,149

-63.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 TTD 31.09

$4.95 ₡2,232

-6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 TTD 130

$20.01 ₡9,020

-3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 TTD 12.84

$2.79 ₡1,256

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 TTD 20.23

$3.53 ₡1,589

-14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 TTD 7.14

$1.19 ₡537

-10.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 TTD 4.75

$2.24 ₡1,011

-68.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 TTD 4.74

$1.55 ₡701

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.52 TTD 97.7

$8.86 ₡3,993

63.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.76

$1.57 ₡708

-26.75%

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

$27.2K TTD 183.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

24.91%

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

$36.4K TTD 244.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

5.07%

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

$89.6 TTD 603

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-4.10%

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

$44.50 TTD 299

$35.11 ₡15.8K

26.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 TTD 377

$51.5 ₡23.2K

8.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 TTD 353

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-26.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 TTD 58.0

$7.84 ₡3,535

10.08%

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

$177 TTD 1,194

$490 ₡220.7K

-63.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K TTD 74.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-7.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 TTD 426

$53.5 ₡24.1K

18.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.48 TTD 299

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-20.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 TTD 994

$79.3 ₡35.7K

86.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 TTD 493

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 TTD 3,509

$786 ₡354.3K

-33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 TTD 2,448

$780 ₡351.6K

-53.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 TTD 7,021

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-72.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 TTD 5,969

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-36.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,209 TTD 8,132

$876 ₡395.0K

37.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

8.62

-33.29%

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

Last update for Arima: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arima

$364 28.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 114% $416

Groceries & Markets

Arima

$315 24.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 11% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arima

$190 14.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 5.3% $10

Eating Out

Arima

$178 14%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 17.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Arima

$148 11.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 18.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Arima

$70 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.9% $17

Getting Around

Arima

$8.5 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 925% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $522 in Arima versus $786 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 38% higher in Arima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Arima versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Arima vs $350 in Nosara – so Arima wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Arima

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

2 h behind Arima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.133 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TTD – Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago Dollar ($)

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.55 TTD (1 TTD = 0.133 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 TTD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arima Nosara 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Arima
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

Arima vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 41% more than Arima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,949 per month in Arima and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,300 in Arima and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 41%.

Kindergarten costs $177 per month in Arima and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arima, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Arima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arima costs $1,300 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.