Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atenas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Atenas vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Atenas $1,548
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Atenas vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Atenas $2,527
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,506 per month in Atenas vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Atenas $3,506
Nosara $3,820

Atenas is about 16% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Atenas and Nosara sit above the global median – Atenas by 14%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 ₡4,361

$12.36 ₡5,578

-21.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ₡25.4K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 ₡5,321

$7.88 ₡3,558

49.62%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₡1,727

$4.40 ₡1,987

-12.95%

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

$2.77 ₡1,249

$1.72 ₡776

61.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡875

$1.34 ₡603

44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,525

$3.34 ₡1,506

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₡2,005

$4.54 ₡2,049

-2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$1.64 ₡739

45.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 ₡1,384

$3.16 ₡1,427

-2.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,016

$2.39 ₡1,080

-5.86%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,571

$3.47 ₡1,564

0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,847

$7.13 ₡3,219

50.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 ₡4,310

$10.32 ₡4,657

-7.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₡4,701

$13.97 ₡6,305

-25.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,039

$2.29 ₡1,032

97.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.62 ₡732

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 ₡1,197

$4.81 ₡2,171

-44.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,107

$1.68 ₡758

45.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ₡1,719

$3.91 ₡1,766

-2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,173

$3.63 ₡1,641

-28.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.13 ₡510

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₡1,405

$2.63 ₡1,188

18.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 ₡2,726

$5.02 ₡2,268

20.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₡8,497

$19.71 ₡8,897

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$2.91 ₡1,315

-9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$3.54 ₡1,598

-24.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 ₡998

$1.21 ₡545

82.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,126

$2.15 ₡970

16.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.63 ₡738

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 ₡3,917

$8.77 ₡3,960

-1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡677

$1.55 ₡701

-3.23%

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

$33.7K ₡15.2M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-0.41%

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

$42.1K ₡19.0M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

9.32%

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

$94.0 ₡42.4K

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-1.32%

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

$35.77 ₡16.1K

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-1.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 ₡23.6K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.83 ₡21.6K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

-29.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₡4,995

$35.55 ₡16.0K

-68.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ₡3,407

$7.54 ₡3,405

0.13%

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

$975 ₡440.3K

$496 ₡224.1K

96.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 ₡3.0M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-43.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.5K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

30.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.5K

$56.1 ₡25.3K

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡57.1K

$77.8 ₡35.1K

62.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.8K

$79.1 ₡35.7K

64.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₡300.6K

$817 ₡369.0K

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 ₡248.2K

$806 ₡363.8K

-31.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 ₡693.8K

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-61.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 ₡561.7K

$1,429 ₡645.2K

-12.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,330 ₡600.6K

$888 ₡400.9K

49.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atenas

$550 35.5%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 46.5% $256

Groceries & Markets

Atenas

$358 23.2%

Nosara

$351 19% 2% $7.2

Eating Out

Atenas

$203 13.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atenas

$182 11.8%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 0.8% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Atenas

$172 11.1%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 30% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Atenas

$63 4.1%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 31.4% $20

Getting Around

Atenas

$19 * 1.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 363% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $666 in Atenas versus $817 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 50% higher in Atenas, 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 $56 in Atenas versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Atenas vs $351 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Atenas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

Same time as Atenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Atenas Nosara 140 km

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Atenas
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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

Atenas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Atenas and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $666 there versus $817 in Nosara.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Atenas and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $975 per month in Atenas and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,548 in Atenas and $1,846 in Nosara. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Atenas to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.