Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenaventura and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenaventura: $1,308 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,308

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,308 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Buenaventura $1,308
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,012 per month in Buenaventura vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Buenaventura $2,012
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,716 per month in Buenaventura vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Buenaventura $2,716
Nosara $3,814

Buenaventura is about 29% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Buenaventura sits 3% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 COP 24.1K

$12.34 ₡5,535

-38.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.62 COP 135.1K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-30.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 COP 29.8K

$7.76 ₡3,481

21.26%

Cappuccino

$2.59 COP 8,225

$4.44 ₡1,992

-41.67%

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

$1.38 COP 4,370

$1.79 ₡803

-22.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 COP 2,835

$1.29 ₡580

-31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 COP 9,959

$3.24 ₡1,451

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 COP 11.8K

$4.43 ₡1,985

-15.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,538

$1.55 ₡696

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 COP 7,642

$3.08 ₡1,380

-21.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,169

$2.53 ₡1,133

-35.57%

Eggs

$2.95 COP 9,353

$3.45 ₡1,546

-14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 COP 24.9K

$7.32 ₡3,284

7.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 COP 30.5K

$10.24 ₡4,594

-6.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.27 COP 38.9K

$14.10 ₡6,326

-12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$2.29 ₡1,027

56.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,665

$1.64 ₡737

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,047

$4.79 ₡2,149

-60.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 COP 5,696

$1.64 ₡735

9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,737

$3.85 ₡1,727

-61.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,694

$3.75 ₡1,681

-60.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,758

$1.09 ₡488

9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,811

$2.59 ₡1,160

-53.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 COP 12.5K

$5.12 ₡2,295

-22.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 COP 41.7K

$19.92 ₡8,931

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,474

$2.80 ₡1,255

-49.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 7,555

$3.52 ₡1,580

-32.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,450

$1.22 ₡549

-10.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 COP 5,079

$2.17 ₡973

-26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 COP 6,457

$1.56 ₡698

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.02 COP 28.6K

$8.67 ₡3,886

4.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,080

$1.55 ₡697

-16.77%

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

$24.7K COP 78.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.38%

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

$35.4K COP 112.2M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-8.70%

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

$126 COP 399.9K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

33.02%

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

$13.14 COP 41.7K

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-63.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 COP 92.5K

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-45.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 COP 120.9K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-48.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 COP 20.6K

$7.91 ₡3,548

-17.83%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$490 ₡219.9K

28.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,516 COP 23.8M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-36.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 COP 269.2K

$54.8 ₡24.6K

54.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 COP 172.5K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-2.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.5K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

72.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 328.1K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.1M

$801 ₡359.1K

-18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$790 ₡354.1K

-39.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 COP 3.2M

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-75.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 COP 2.8M

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-37.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,966 COP 6.2M

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-72.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,628 COP 5.2M

$1,236 ₡554.3K

31.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

8.62

34.34%

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

Last update for Buenaventura: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenaventura

$475 36.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 66.3% $315

Groceries & Markets

Buenaventura

$273 20.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 27.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Buenaventura

$172 13.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 29.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenaventura

$168 12.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 9.2% $16

Eating Out

Buenaventura

$153 11.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 39.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Buenaventura

$51 3.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 75.2% $38

Getting Around

Buenaventura

$16 * 1.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 450% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $653 in Buenaventura versus $801 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 $43.00 in Buenaventura versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $350 – making Buenaventura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

10:59 10:59 AM

1 h behind Buenaventura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,607

4,912

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenaventura Nosara 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenaventura
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

Buenaventura vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,308 in Buenaventura, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,962 per month in Buenaventura and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Buenaventura and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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 Buenaventura, where all-in costs run around $1,308, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Buenaventura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,308 in Buenaventura to $1,835 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 Buenaventura. 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.