Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,713 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Cartago $1,713
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Cartago $2,362
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Cartago versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Cartago $3,011
Nosara $3,818

Living in Cartago costs roughly 7% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,875

$12.35 ₡5,539

-30.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-43.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,449

$7.52 ₡3,373

31.91%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,036

$4.41 ₡1,978

2.95%

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

$2.13 ₡955

$1.74 ₡780

22.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡610

$1.31 ₡587

3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡964

$3.28 ₡1,471

-34.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,820

$4.47 ₡2,004

-9.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,073

$1.56 ₡701

53.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,065

$3.02 ₡1,355

-21.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,110

$2.51 ₡1,125

-1.59%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,601

$3.57 ₡1,603

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,860

$7.43 ₡3,333

15.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,654

$10.52 ₡4,717

-1.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,252

$13.97 ₡6,265

-0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,351

$2.35 ₡1,052

122.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡579

$1.61 ₡720

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,014

$4.80 ₡2,152

-6.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,307

$1.61 ₡724

80.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,004

$3.80 ₡1,703

-41.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡972

$3.69 ₡1,657

-41.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡487

$1.13 ₡507

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡977

$2.66 ₡1,191

-18.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,722

$5.18 ₡2,321

17.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,797

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,296

$2.90 ₡1,300

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡912

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡613

$1.12 ₡504

22.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.8K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡598

$2.14 ₡958

-37.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.57 ₡703

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,015

$8.52 ₡3,823

5.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡677

$1.52 ₡682

-0.66%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

0.39%

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

$35.1K ₡15.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

1.74%

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

$52.4 ₡23.5K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-45.55%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.8K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

11.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

3.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

122.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,262

$7.89 ₡3,539

-7.86%

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

$549 ₡246.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

11.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-33.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

30.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.3K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.4K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

55.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡414.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

17.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡315.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡838.0K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-52.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡324.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-48.98%

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)

$1,344 ₡602.9K

$864 ₡387.3K

55.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 12.8% $90

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 1.2% $4

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 13.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 20.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 26% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.1% $0.9

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Cartago vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $352 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

Same time as Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartago Nosara 190 km

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Cartago, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $923 in Cartago versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cartago runs roughly 1% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $549 in Cartago versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,713 in Cartago versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cartago 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, Cartago 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.