Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonao and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonao: $686 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Bonao
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Bonao Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bonao

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$686

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $686 in Bonao versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Bonao $686
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in Bonao versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Bonao $1,131
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,575 in Bonao versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Bonao $1,575
Nosara $3,818

Living in Bonao costs roughly 63% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bonao is 49% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.71 DOP 595

$12.35 ₡5,539

-21.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.73 DOP 3,047

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-18.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 DOP 468

$7.52 ₡3,373

1.73%

Cappuccino

$2.00 DOP 123

$4.41 ₡1,978

-54.65%

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

$1.05 DOP 64.6

$1.74 ₡780

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 DOP 36.58

$1.31 ₡587

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 DOP 149

$3.28 ₡1,471

-25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 DOP 192

$4.47 ₡2,004

-29.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 DOP 63.3

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 DOP 63.6

$3.02 ₡1,355

-65.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 DOP 40.65

$2.51 ₡1,125

-73.71%

Eggs

$1.21 DOP 74.1

$3.57 ₡1,603

-66.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.01 DOP 307

$7.43 ₡3,333

-32.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.61 DOP 344

$10.52 ₡4,717

-46.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 DOP 399

$13.97 ₡6,265

-53.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 DOP 145

$2.35 ₡1,052

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 DOP 38.55

$1.61 ₡720

-60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 DOP 165

$4.80 ₡2,152

-43.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 DOP 83.8

$1.61 ₡724

-14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 DOP 121

$3.80 ₡1,703

-48.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 DOP 95.9

$3.69 ₡1,657

-57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 DOP 61.0

$1.13 ₡507

-11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 DOP 31.40

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.24 DOP 321

$5.18 ₡2,321

1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 DOP 437

$19.88 ₡8,916

-64.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 DOP 133

$2.90 ₡1,300

-24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 DOP 178

$3.63 ₡1,626

-19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 DOP 35.60

$1.12 ₡504

-48.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.07 DOP 2,087

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 DOP 191

$2.14 ₡958

45.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 DOP 133

$1.57 ₡703

38.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 DOP 147

$8.52 ₡3,823

-71.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 DOP 85.5

$1.52 ₡682

-7.89%

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

$22.8K DOP 1.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

5.58%

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

$34.1K DOP 2.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.18%

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

$92.9 DOP 5,691

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-3.52%

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

$31.91 DOP 1,955

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-11.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 DOP 2,203

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-32.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 DOP 449

$7.89 ₡3,539

-7.10%

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

$248 DOP 15.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

-49.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,364 DOP 451.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-37.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.46 DOP 2,785

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-15.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.18 DOP 2,829

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-16.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 DOP 5,291

$77.9 ₡34.9K

10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 DOP 7,698

$79.6 ₡35.7K

57.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

8.62

57.31%

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

Last update for Bonao: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bonao

$174 25.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 102% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bonao

$161 23.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 15.5% $25

Eating Out

Bonao

$150 21.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 41.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Bonao

$137 19.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.1% $17

Getting Around

Bonao

$50 7.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 73% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Bonao

$15 * 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 496% $73

Accommodation & Living

Bonao

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $50.0 in Bonao vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $352 per month, with Bonao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Bonao

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

07:08 7:08 AM

2 h behind Bonao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,034

4,912

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bonao Nosara 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bonao
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

Bonao vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bonao and Nosara differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($686 vs $1,839 including rent). Bonao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,029 in Bonao 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.

A monthly transit pass in Bonao runs roughly 113% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $248 in Bonao versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $686 in Bonao versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bonao but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bonao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bonao 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 Bonao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.