Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boquete and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,473 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
Learn more

Boquete Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,473

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,473 in Boquete versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Boquete $1,473
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,266 in Boquete versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Boquete $2,266
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Boquete versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Boquete $3,059
Nosara $3,712

Living in Boquete costs roughly 20% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boquete 10% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 PAB 6.46

$12.22 ₡5,509

-47.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.90 PAB 39.90

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-33.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 PAB 7.58

$7.54 ₡3,399

0.53%

Cappuccino

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$4.31 ₡1,941

-9.98%

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

$1.34 PAB 1.34

$1.72 ₡773

-22.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 PAB 1.21

$1.35 ₡608

-10.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 PAB 2.26

$3.24 ₡1,459

-30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 PAB 5.08

$4.48 ₡2,018

13.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.57 ₡707

14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 PAB 2.08

$3.17 ₡1,429

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 PAB 2.14

$2.42 ₡1,091

-11.57%

Eggs

$2.54 PAB 2.54

$3.57 ₡1,609

-28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 PAB 9.20

$7.43 ₡3,349

23.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 PAB 7.77

$10.42 ₡4,697

-25.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 PAB 15.16

$13.66 ₡6,156

10.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 PAB 4.39

$2.32 ₡1,044

89.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 PAB 0.97

$1.61 ₡728

-39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 PAB 4.49

$4.74 ₡2,138

-5.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 PAB 2.27

$1.66 ₡747

36.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 PAB 2.17

$3.72 ₡1,679

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 PAB 2.16

$3.57 ₡1,611

-39.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 PAB 2.22

$1.10 ₡497

101.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 PAB 1.63

$2.55 ₡1,149

-36.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 PAB 5.09

$4.95 ₡2,232

2.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$20.01 ₡9,020

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 PAB 1.15

$2.79 ₡1,256

-58.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PAB 2.64

$3.53 ₡1,589

-25.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 PAB 1.39

$1.19 ₡537

16.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.47 PAB 25.47

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-64.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 PAB 1.01

$2.24 ₡1,011

-54.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.55 ₡701

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.64 PAB 29.64

$8.86 ₡3,993

234.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PAB 1.18

$1.57 ₡708

-24.84%

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

$25.1K PAB 25.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

14.91%

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

$22.2K PAB 22.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-35.95%

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

$58.7 PAB 58.7

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-37.19%

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

$26.10 PAB 26.10

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-25.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.09 PAB 43.09

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-16.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 PAB 81.3

$71.4 ₡32.2K

13.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.41 PAB 17.41

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-50.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 PAB 6.53

$7.84 ₡3,535

-16.71%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,039 PAB 6,039

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-49.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.55 PAB 24.55

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-54.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 PAB 25.25

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-54.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.67 PAB 44.67

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-43.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 PAB 841

$786 ₡354.3K

7.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 PAB 701

$780 ₡351.6K

-10.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 PAB 1,562

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-59.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 PAB 1,309

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-7.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,163 PAB 1,163

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-83.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,151 PAB 1,151

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-4.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 PAB 799

$876 ₡395.0K

-8.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Boquete: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boquete

$701 48.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 11.3% $79

Groceries & Markets

Boquete

$293 20.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 19.4% $57

Eating Out

Boquete

$153 10.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 37.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boquete

$128 8.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 40.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Boquete

$94 6.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 7.7% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Boquete

$43 * 2.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 183% $78

Getting Around

Boquete

$42 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 108% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Boquete and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 10% 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: $40.00 in Boquete vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $350 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Boquete

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

1 h behind Boquete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 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 PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boquete Nosara 380 km

From you

Boquete
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

Boquete vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boquete is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $841 in Boquete versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,473 per month in Boquete versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,473 in Boquete versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Boquete 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, Boquete 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 Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.