Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chalan Pago and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chalan Pago: $408 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chalan Pago

🇬🇺 Guam

$408

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $408 in Chalan Pago versus $1,844 in Nosara.

Chalan Pago $408
Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $217 in Chalan Pago versus $2,817 in Nosara.

Chalan Pago $217
Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $25 in Chalan Pago versus $3,790 in Nosara.

Chalan Pago $25
Nosara $3,790

Living in Chalan Pago costs roughly 78% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chalan Pago is 70% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

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

$1.78 ₡800

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.31 ₡588

92.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

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

$18.8K $18.8K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-43.78%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

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

$496 ₡222.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 $398

$800 ₡359.7K

-50.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

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 Chalan Pago: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chalan Pago

–

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Groceries & Markets

Chalan Pago

–

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Eating Out

Chalan Pago

–

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chalan Pago

–

Nosara

$185 10%

Clothing & Footwear

Chalan Pago

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Getting Around

Chalan Pago

–

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Chalan Pago

–

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Good to know

🇬🇺 Chalan Pago

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

00:00 12:00 AM

16 h behind Chalan Pago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,484

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chalan Pago Nosara 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Chalan Pago
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

Chalan Pago vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chalan Pago wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chalan Pago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $612 in Chalan Pago and $2,765 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.

At $408 in Chalan Pago versus $1,844 in Nosara, a $800 budget is realistic in Chalan Pago but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chalan Pago 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, Chalan Pago and Nosara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.