Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahia de Caraquez and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $806 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
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Bahia de Caraquez Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$806

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $806 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $806
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,384 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $1,384
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,963 per month in Bahia de Caraquez vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Bahia de Caraquez $1,963
Nosara $3,818

Bahia de Caraquez is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bahia de Caraquez sits 40% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 $3.96

$12.35 ₡5,539

-67.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 $51.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-15.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 $9.16

$7.52 ₡3,373

21.81%

Cappuccino

$2.81 $2.81

$4.41 ₡1,978

-36.28%

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

$0.93 $0.93

$1.74 ₡780

-46.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.31 ₡587

-42.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.28 ₡1,471

-9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.47 ₡2,004

-5.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.56 ₡701

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.02 ₡1,355

-34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.51 ₡1,125

-43.82%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$3.57 ₡1,603

-41.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$7.43 ₡3,333

-4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$10.52 ₡4,717

-51.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$13.97 ₡6,265

-35.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.35 ₡1,052

-37.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.61 ₡720

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$4.80 ₡2,152

-79.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.61 ₡724

-40.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$3.69 ₡1,657

-73.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.13 ₡507

-23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.66 ₡1,191

-62.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.18 ₡2,321

17.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 $12.08

$19.88 ₡8,916

-39.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.90 ₡1,300

-45.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.63 ₡1,626

-41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.12 ₡504

-66.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.54 $16.54

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-77.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.14 ₡958

-35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.57 ₡703

14.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.52 ₡3,823

42.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.52 ₡682

-45.39%

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

$20.6K $20.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-4.51%

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

$31.6K $31.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-8.44%

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

$39.59 $39.59

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-58.88%

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

$15.13 $15.13

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-57.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.61 $26.61

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-50.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.01 $29.01

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-59.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 $17.11

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-50.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 $7.54

$7.89 ₡3,539

-4.44%

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

$369 $369

$494 ₡221.6K

-25.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,654 $5,654

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-52.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 $65.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.86 $40.86

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-26.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$77.9 ₡34.9K

60.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 $92.6

$79.6 ₡35.7K

16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 $261

$788 ₡353.4K

-66.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 $183

$794 ₡356.2K

-76.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 $765

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 $439

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-69.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,253 $1,253

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-81.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$791 $791

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-35.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

8.62

16.59%

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

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bahia de Caraquez

$200 24.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 76.2% $152

Accommodation & Living

Bahia de Caraquez

$183 22.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 334% $611

Clothing & Footwear

Bahia de Caraquez

$146 18.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.7% $26

Eating Out

Bahia de Caraquez

$123 15.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 72.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bahia de Caraquez

$81 10.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 128% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Bahia de Caraquez

$44 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 98.1% $43

Getting Around

Bahia de Caraquez

$28 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 207% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Bahia de Caraquez versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Bahia de Caraquez versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $352 – making Bahia de Caraquez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

1 h behind Bahia de Caraquez

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,963

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bahia de Caraquez Nosara 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bahia de Caraquez
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

Bahia de Caraquez vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $806 in Bahia de Caraquez, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,208 per month in Bahia de Caraquez and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Bahia de Caraquez and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahia de Caraquez, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Bahia de Caraquez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bahia de Caraquez has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $806 in Bahia de Caraquez to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bahia de Caraquez. 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.