Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Azua and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Azua: $660 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Azua
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Azua Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Azua

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$660

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $660 in Azua versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Azua $660
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,060 in Azua versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Azua $1,060
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,460 in Azua versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Azua $1,460
Nosara $3,712

Living in Azua costs roughly 64% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Azua is 51% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 DOP 525

$12.22 ₡5,509

-29.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.37 DOP 2,524

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-31.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 DOP 436

$7.54 ₡3,399

-5.17%

Cappuccino

$1.36 DOP 82.7

$4.31 ₡1,941

-68.45%

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

$0.68 DOP 41.67

$1.72 ₡773

-60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 DOP 23.58

$1.35 ₡608

-71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 DOP 157

$3.24 ₡1,459

-20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 DOP 253

$4.48 ₡2,018

-7.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 DOP 73.2

$1.57 ₡707

-23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 DOP 111

$3.17 ₡1,429

-42.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 DOP 63.9

$2.42 ₡1,091

-56.61%

Eggs

$1.47 DOP 89.5

$3.57 ₡1,609

-58.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 DOP 400

$7.43 ₡3,349

-11.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 DOP 225

$10.42 ₡4,697

-64.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.83 DOP 295

$13.66 ₡6,156

-64.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 DOP 228

$2.32 ₡1,044

61.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 DOP 86.3

$1.61 ₡728

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 DOP 197

$4.74 ₡2,138

-31.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 DOP 138

$1.66 ₡747

36.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 DOP 224

$3.72 ₡1,679

-1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 DOP 178

$3.57 ₡1,611

-17.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 DOP 58.7

$1.10 ₡497

-12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 DOP 99.2

$2.55 ₡1,149

-36.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 DOP 290

$4.95 ₡2,232

-4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.12 DOP 1,044

$20.01 ₡9,020

-14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 DOP 178

$2.79 ₡1,256

4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 DOP 205

$3.53 ₡1,589

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 DOP 152

$2.24 ₡1,011

11.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 DOP 199

$1.55 ₡701

110.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 DOP 83.9

$1.57 ₡708

-12.74%

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

$15.0K DOP 917.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-31.04%

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

$25.7K DOP 1.6M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.66%

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

$94.7 DOP 5,779

$93.5 ₡42.1K

1.38%

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

$27.44 DOP 1,674

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-21.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.28 DOP 2,396

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-23.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.21 DOP 1,233

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-71.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 DOP 309

$7.84 ₡3,535

-35.33%

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

$152 DOP 9,283

$490 ₡220.7K

-68.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,570 DOP 339.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-53.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.60 DOP 1,623

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-50.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.31 DOP 2,764

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 DOP 3,833

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 DOP 4,072

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-15.37%

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)

$3,576 DOP 218.2K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-48.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

27.61%

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

Last update for Azua: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Azua

$240 35.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 45.5% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Azua

$161 24%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 11.5% $19

Eating Out

Azua

$132 19.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 58.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Azua

$91 13.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 32.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Azua

$30 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 187% $57

Getting Around

Azua

$19 * 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 361% $68

Accommodation & Living

Azua

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $41.00 in Azua vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $350 per month, with Azua cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Azua

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

2 h behind Azua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,264

4,912

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.64 USD

100 DOP = 1.46 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 61 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.42 DOP (100 DOP = 1.46 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 DOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Azua Nosara 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Azua
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

Azua vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Azua is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 179% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $990 in Azua and $2,756 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $660 per month in Azua versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 179% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $660 in Azua versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Azua but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Azua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Azua 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, Azua 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 Azua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.