Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Assis and Nosara
For one person, living is cheaper in Assis: $862 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Assis and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Assis versus $1,835 in Nosara.
Assis $862
Nosara $1,835
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,343 in Assis versus $2,825 in Nosara.
Assis $1,343
Nosara $2,825
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,825 in Assis versus $3,814 in Nosara.
Assis $1,825
Nosara $3,814
🌍
Living in Assis costs roughly 53% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Assis is 36% below, Nosara is 35% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Assis
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.98R$30.31
$12.34₡5,535
-51.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.64R$120
$61.3₡27.5K
-61.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.92R$30.03
$7.76₡3,481
-23.71%
Cappuccino
$2.01R$10.21
$4.44₡1,992
-54.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18R$5.97
$1.79₡803
-34.08%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82R$4.14
$1.29₡580
-36.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.62R$8.21
$3.24₡1,451
-50.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02R$10.24
$4.43₡1,985
-54.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Assis
Nosara
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.12R$5.68
$1.55₡696
-27.74%
White Bread(500g)
$1.26R$6.40
$3.08₡1,380
-59.09%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.30R$6.60
$2.53₡1,133
-48.62%
Eggs
$1.53R$7.74
$3.45₡1,546
-55.65%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.51R$38.09
$7.32₡3,284
2.60%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.24R$26.56
$10.24₡4,594
-48.83%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.58R$43.50
$14.10₡6,326
-39.15%
Apples(1kg)
$2.12R$10.76
$2.29₡1,027
-7.42%
Banana(1kg)
$1.17R$5.92
$1.64₡737
-28.66%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.22R$6.18
$4.79₡2,149
-74.53%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.51R$7.63
$1.64₡735
-7.93%
Potato(1kg)
$1.15R$5.83
$3.85₡1,727
-70.13%
Onion(1kg)
$0.98R$4.98
$3.75₡1,681
-73.87%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.91R$4.62
$1.09₡488
-16.51%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97R$4.92
$2.59₡1,160
-62.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.46R$12.47
$5.12₡2,295
-51.95%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.21R$31.48
$19.92₡8,931
-68.83%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44R$7.29
$2.80₡1,255
-48.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02R$10.24
$3.52₡1,580
-42.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Assis
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.01R$5.09
$1.22₡549
-17.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.54R$226
$73.9₡33.1K
-39.73%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.37R$12.02
$2.17₡973
9.22%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.78R$3.94
$1.56₡698
-50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.85R$14.45
$8.67₡3,886
-67.13%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.25R$6.33
$1.55₡697
-19.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3KR$178.8K
$34.5K₡15.5M
2.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8KR$166.0K
$38.7K₡17.4M
-15.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Assis
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$86.7R$439
$94.8₡42.5K
-8.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.97R$55.6
$36.15₡16.2K
-69.65%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.00R$117
$53.1₡23.8K
-56.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Assis
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$26.07R$132
$73.8₡33.1K
-64.67%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.03R$142
$35.63₡16.0K
-21.33%
Cinema Ticket
$5.89R$29.85
$7.91₡3,548
-25.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Assis
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$212R$1,074
$490₡219.9K
-56.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,614R$38.6K
$11.9K₡5.3M
-35.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Assis
Nosara
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.34R$220
$54.8₡24.6K
-20.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.9R$299
$55.9₡25.1K
5.44%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$86.0R$436
$80.4₡36.0K
6.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.1R$305
$77.9₡34.9K
-22.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Assis
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$359R$1,817
$801₡359.1K
-55.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$243R$1,234
$790₡354.1K
-69.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$677R$3,432
$4,005₡1.8M
-83.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$471R$2,385
$1,409₡632.0K
-66.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,718R$8,708
$7,064₡3.2M
-75.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,206R$6,112
$1,236₡554.3K
-2.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Assis
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$594R$3,011
$887₡397.6K
-33.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.5
8.62
21.81%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Assis: October 19, 2026
Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Assis
$243 28.2%
Nosara
$790 43% ↑ 224%$546
🛒Groceries & Markets
Assis
$184 21.3%
Nosara
$350 19.1% ↑ 90%$166
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Assis
$121 14%
Nosara
$184 10% ↑ 52.5%$63
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Assis
$112 13%
Nosara
$121 6.6% ↑ 8.3%$9.3
🍽Eating Out
Assis
$110 12.7%
Nosara
$213 11.6% ↑ 93.5%$103
🚌Getting Around
Assis
$55 6.4%
Nosara
$89 4.8% ↑ 61.9%$34
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Assis
$38 4.4%
Nosara
$90 4.9% ↑ 137%$52
🏠Accommodation & Living
Assis
$471 25.8%
Nosara
$1.4K 37% ↑ 200%$939
🛒Groceries & Markets
Assis
$422 23.1%
Nosara
$785 20.6% ↑ 86%$363
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Assis
$132 7.2%
Nosara
$220 5.8% ↑ 67.3%$89
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Assis
$248 13.6%
Nosara
$269 7.1% ↑ 8.3%$21
🍽Eating Out
Assis
$337 18.5%
Nosara
$736 19.3% ↑ 119%$399
🚌Getting Around
Assis
$112 6.1%
Nosara
$180 4.7% ↑ 61.2%$68
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Assis
$104 5.7%
Nosara
$215 5.6% ↑ 107%$111
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Assis and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Nosara pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $24.00 in Assis vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $350 per month, with Assis cheaper across the board.
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
Assis vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Assis?
Assis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Assis or Nosara?
On paper, salaries run 49% 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.
What is the rent difference between Assis and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Assis versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 66% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $212 in Assis versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Assis or in Nosara?
At $862 in Assis versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Assis or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Assis 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.
Which city is safer, Assis or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Assis 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.