Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arona and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Arona: $1,638 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Arona
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Arona Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Arona

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,638

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,638 in Arona versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Arona $1,638
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,516 in Arona versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Arona $2,516
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,394 in Arona versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Arona $3,394
Nosara $3,818

Living in Arona costs roughly 11% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arona 21% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 €14.62

$12.35 ₡5,539

33.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 €69.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

28.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 €7.74

$7.52 ₡3,373

15.69%

Cappuccino

$1.63 €1.45

$4.41 ₡1,978

-63.04%

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

$2.96 €2.63

$1.74 ₡780

70.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.31 ₡587

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 €3.41

$3.28 ₡1,471

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.10

$4.47 ₡2,004

28.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.56 ₡701

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.02 ₡1,355

-28.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 €3.71

$2.51 ₡1,125

66.14%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.65

$3.57 ₡1,603

-16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.34 €13.65

$7.43 ₡3,333

106.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.32 €12.74

$10.52 ₡4,717

36.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 €13.24

$13.97 ₡6,265

6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.35 ₡1,052

16.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.61 ₡720

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 €2.78

$4.80 ₡2,152

-34.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.61 ₡724

44.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.80 ₡1,703

-51.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$3.69 ₡1,657

-52.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.13 ₡507

44.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$2.66 ₡1,191

-75.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.92

$5.18 ₡2,321

28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.49 €3.99

$19.88 ₡8,916

-77.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$2.90 ₡1,300

-67.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.63 ₡1,626

-53.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.12 ₡504

58.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.08 €32.09

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-50.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 €4.88

$2.14 ₡958

156.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.57 ₡703

2.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 €27.09

$8.52 ₡3,823

257.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.79

$1.52 ₡682

32.89%

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

$36.2K €32.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

67.49%

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

$35.8K €31.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

3.59%

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

$197 €175

$96.3 ₡43.2K

104.39%

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

$11.48 €10.22

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-68.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.12 €24.13

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.80 €42.52

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-33.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 €20.21

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-34.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 €11.72

$7.89 ₡3,539

67.05%

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

$872 €776

$494 ₡221.6K

76.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K €16.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

59.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 €78.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

63.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.51 €33.37

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-32.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

37.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$79.6 ₡35.7K

62.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 €573

$788 ₡353.4K

-18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 €507

$794 ₡356.2K

-28.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 €889

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 €805

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-36.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,772 €2,466

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-59.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,968 €1,751

$1,224 ₡549.0K

60.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

8.62

-57.66%

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

Last update for Arona: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arona

$570 34.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 39.3% $224

Groceries & Markets

Arona

$314 19.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 12% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arona

$235 14.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 21.1% $50

Eating Out

Arona

$224 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 5.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Arona

$163 9.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 26.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Arona

$74 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.8% $13

Getting Around

Arona

$57 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 53.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $644 in Arona and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Arona vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $352, with Arona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Arona

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

07:57 7:57 AM

8 h behind Arona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,310

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arona Nosara 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Arona
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

Arona vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arona is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,457 in Arona and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $644 in Arona versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $872 in Arona versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,638 in Arona versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arona but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Arona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arona 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, Arona 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 Arona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.