Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colonia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Colonia: $1,511 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Colonia
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Colonia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Colonia

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,511

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,511 in Colonia versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Colonia $1,511
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,462 in Colonia versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Colonia $2,462
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,413 in Colonia versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Colonia $3,413
Nosara $3,818

Living in Colonia costs roughly 18% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Colonia 12% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 UYU 640

$12.35 ₡5,539

29.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 UYU 3,015

$61.2 ₡27.4K

22.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.92 UYU 519

$7.52 ₡3,373

71.81%

Cappuccino

$5.83 UYU 234

$4.41 ₡1,978

32.20%

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

$1.85 UYU 74.4

$1.74 ₡780

6.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 UYU 56.2

$1.31 ₡587

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 UYU 196

$3.28 ₡1,471

48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 UYU 190

$4.47 ₡2,004

6.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 UYU 46.11

$1.56 ₡701

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 UYU 84.7

$3.02 ₡1,355

-30.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 UYU 48.39

$2.51 ₡1,125

-51.79%

Eggs

$3.51 UYU 141

$3.57 ₡1,603

-1.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 UYU 400

$7.43 ₡3,333

34.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 UYU 495

$10.52 ₡4,717

17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 UYU 443

$13.97 ₡6,265

-21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 UYU 87.3

$2.35 ₡1,052

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 UYU 76.0

$1.61 ₡720

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 UYU 51.1

$4.80 ₡2,152

-73.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 UYU 224

$1.61 ₡724

246.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 UYU 81.8

$3.80 ₡1,703

-46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 UYU 79.3

$3.69 ₡1,657

-46.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 UYU 49.17

$1.13 ₡507

8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 UYU 50.2

$2.66 ₡1,191

-53.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 UYU 307

$5.18 ₡2,321

47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 UYU 506

$19.88 ₡8,916

-36.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 UYU 178

$2.90 ₡1,300

53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 UYU 101

$3.63 ₡1,626

-30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 UYU 38.29

$1.12 ₡504

-15.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 UYU 34.47

$2.14 ₡958

-59.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 UYU 101

$1.57 ₡703

61.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 UYU 79.4

$1.52 ₡682

30.26%

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

$32.0K UYU 1.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

48.29%

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

$39.2K UYU 1.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

13.54%

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

$123 UYU 4,923

$96.3 ₡43.2K

27.39%

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

$18.70 UYU 750

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-47.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 UYU 1,555

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-27.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.35 UYU 1,660

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.52 UYU 503

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-64.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 UYU 313

$7.89 ₡3,539

-1.14%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 UYU 2,274

$53.9 ₡24.2K

5.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 UYU 2,027

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 UYU 4,503

$77.9 ₡34.9K

43.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 UYU 8,079

$79.6 ₡35.7K

152.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 UYU 24.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

-24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 UYU 18.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-40.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 UYU 45.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-71.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 UYU 39.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-31.16%

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)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

8.62

-47.80%

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

Last update for Colonia: 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

Colonia

$470 31.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 68.9% $324

Groceries & Markets

Colonia

$314 20.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 12.3% $39

Eating Out

Colonia

$283 18.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 25.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Colonia

$189 12.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 36.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colonia

$180 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 3.1% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Colonia

$57 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 53.4% $30

Getting Around

Colonia

$17 * 1.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 403% $70

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 $597 in Colonia and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Colonia vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $352, with Colonia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Colonia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

18:48 6:48 PM

3 h behind Colonia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,231

4,912

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Colonia Nosara 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Colonia
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

Colonia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colonia wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colonia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,266 in Colonia and $2,758 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $597 in Colonia versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,511 per month in Colonia versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,511 in Colonia versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colonia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Colonia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colonia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,511 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colonia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Colonia 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 Colonia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.