Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad del Este and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad del Este: $799 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ciudad del Este
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$799
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $799 per month in Ciudad del Este vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ciudad del Este $799
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,500 per month in Ciudad del Este vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ciudad del Este $1,500
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,201 per month in Ciudad del Este vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ciudad del Este $2,201
  • Nosara $3,818

Ciudad del Este is about 57% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ciudad del Este sits 41% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.08 ₲34.6K
$12.35 ₡5,539
-50.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.70 ₲129.1K
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-62.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.87 ₲33.4K
$7.52 ₡3,373
-21.94%
Cappuccino
$2.31 ₲13.1K
$4.41 ₡1,978
-47.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₲5,638
$1.74 ₡780
-43.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ₲3,492
$1.31 ₡587
-53.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.03 ₲5,838
$3.28 ₡1,471
-68.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₲9,914
$4.47 ₡2,004
-61.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 ₲6,405
$1.56 ₡701
-27.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 ₲8,812
$3.02 ₡1,355
-48.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.27 ₲7,206
$2.51 ₡1,125
-49.40%
Eggs
$2.21 ₲12.6K
$3.57 ₡1,603
-38.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.15 ₲52.0K
$7.43 ₡3,333
23.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.89 ₲22.1K
$10.52 ₡4,717
-63.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.35 ₲47.5K
$13.97 ₡6,265
-40.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 ₲11.7K
$2.35 ₡1,052
-12.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 ₲7,249
$1.61 ₡720
-21.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.98 ₲5,596
$4.80 ₡2,152
-79.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 ₲7,231
$1.61 ₡724
-21.12%
Potato (1kg)
$0.93 ₲5,284
$3.80 ₡1,703
-75.53%
Onion (1kg)
$0.94 ₲5,368
$3.69 ₡1,657
-74.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.49 ₲2,797
$1.13 ₡507
-56.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 ₲2,399
$2.66 ₡1,191
-84.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.37 ₲7,814
$5.18 ₡2,321
-73.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.40 ₲30.7K
$19.88 ₡8,916
-72.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 ₲4,286
$2.90 ₡1,300
-74.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₲9,881
$3.63 ₡1,626
-52.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 ₲5,160
$1.12 ₡504
-18.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.55 ₲8,801
$2.14 ₡958
-27.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₲8,923
$1.57 ₡703
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.48 ₲59.6K
$8.52 ₡3,823
23.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 ₲6,955
$1.52 ₡682
-19.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.5K ₲99.2M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-19.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.3K ₲98.2M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-49.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.9 ₲295.2K
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-46.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.90 ₲101.8K
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-50.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.98 ₲107.9K
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-64.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.72 ₲169.0K
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-58.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.30 ₲81.3K
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-59.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.20 ₲35.3K
$7.89 ₡3,539
-21.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$185 ₲1.1M
$494 ₡221.6K
-62.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,909 ₲10.9M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-83.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.1 ₲364.6K
$53.9 ₡24.2K
18.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.87 ₲192.6K
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-38.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.6 ₲566.4K
$77.9 ₡34.9K
27.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.8 ₲323.2K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-28.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$354 ₲2.0M
$788 ₡353.4K
-55.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$261 ₲1.5M
$794 ₡356.2K
-67.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$744 ₲4.2M
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-81.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$980 ₲5.6M
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-30.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,923 ₲10.9M
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-72.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,420 ₲8.1M
$1,224 ₡549.0K
15.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ciudad del Este
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$610 ₲3.5M
$864 ₡387.3K
-29.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.15
8.62
17.75%

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

Last update for Ciudad del Este: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ciudad del Este
$261
Nosara
$794 205% $533
Groceries & Markets
Ciudad del Este
$171
Nosara
$352 107% $182
Clothing & Footwear
Ciudad del Este
$115
Nosara
$120 4.9% $5.6
Eating Out
Ciudad del Este
$109
Nosara
$212 94.3% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ciudad del Este
$89
Nosara
$186 109% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Ciudad del Este
$42
Nosara
$87 107% $45
Getting Around
Ciudad del Este
$13 *
Nosara
$87 569% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Ciudad del Este versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 42% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ciudad del Este versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $352 – making Ciudad del Este the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇾 Ciudad del Este
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
20:43 8:43 PM
17:43 5:43 PM
3 h behind Ciudad del Este
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
320,782
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ciudad del Este Nosara 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ciudad del Este
  • 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
Ciudad del Este vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Ciudad del Este?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,198 per month in Ciudad del Este and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ciudad del Este, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Ciudad del Este or in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Ciudad del Este and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ciudad del Este and in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 107% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ciudad del Este or in Nosara?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ciudad del Este, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ciudad del Este it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ciudad del Este or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ciudad del Este – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ciudad del Este or Nosara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ciudad del Este. 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.

Ciudad del Este vs other spots: cost of living compared

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