Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Liberia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Liberia: $1,621 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Liberia
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Liberia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Liberia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,621

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,621 in Liberia versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Liberia $1,621
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,267 in Liberia versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Liberia $2,267
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,914 in Liberia versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Liberia $2,914
Nosara $3,818

Living in Liberia costs roughly 12% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Liberia 20% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 ₡4,848

$12.35 ₡5,539

-12.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 ₡17.0K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-38.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 ₡4,879

$7.52 ₡3,373

44.68%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ₡1,588

$4.41 ₡1,978

-19.73%

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

$1.99 ₡892

$1.74 ₡780

14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.31 ₡587

22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 ₡1,196

$3.28 ₡1,471

-18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,970

$4.47 ₡2,004

-1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ₡1,088

$1.56 ₡701

55.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₡1,403

$3.02 ₡1,355

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,028

$2.51 ₡1,125

-8.76%

Eggs

$3.42 ₡1,532

$3.57 ₡1,603

-4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 ₡3,532

$7.43 ₡3,333

6.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 ₡3,527

$10.52 ₡4,717

-25.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 ₡5,569

$13.97 ₡6,265

-11.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 ₡2,311

$2.35 ₡1,052

119.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.61 ₡720

-3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 ₡1,131

$4.80 ₡2,152

-47.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 ₡1,452

$1.61 ₡724

101.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,752

$3.80 ₡1,703

2.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 ₡1,169

$3.69 ₡1,657

-29.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.13 ₡507

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₡964

$2.66 ₡1,191

-19.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.94 ₡2,217

$5.18 ₡2,321

-4.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.49 ₡6,946

$19.88 ₡8,916

-22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₡1,034

$2.90 ₡1,300

-20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₡1,593

$3.63 ₡1,626

-2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₡499

$1.12 ₡504

-0.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ₡24.5K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-24.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,103

$2.14 ₡958

14.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.57 ₡703

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 ₡3,875

$8.52 ₡3,823

1.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.52 ₡682

3.29%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

3.15%

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

$35.0K ₡15.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

1.49%

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

$94.3 ₡42.3K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-2.09%

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

$30.81 ₡13.8K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-14.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.82 ₡17.9K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 ₡22.1K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-31.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 ₡15.7K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

0.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,382

$7.89 ₡3,539

-4.44%

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

$1,002 ₡449.3K

$494 ₡221.6K

102.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

43.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₡29.7K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

22.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 ₡16.5K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.3K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

66.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ₡41.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡287.5K

$794 ₡356.2K

-19.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 ₡415.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-76.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₡331.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-47.96%

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)

$886 ₡397.5K

$864 ₡387.3K

2.65%

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 Liberia: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Liberia

$641 39.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 23.9% $153

Groceries & Markets

Liberia

$337 20.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 4.7% $16

Eating Out

Liberia

$198 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 6.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Liberia

$165 10.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 12.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Liberia

$147 9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18% $26

Getting Around

Liberia

$69 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 25.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Liberia

$64 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 35.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Liberia and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liberia pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Liberia vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $352 per month, with Liberia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Liberia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

Same time as Liberia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,000

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

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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

Liberia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Liberia wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Liberia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Liberia, 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: $794 in Liberia versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Liberia – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,621 per month in Liberia versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,621 in Liberia versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Liberia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Liberia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Liberia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,621 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Liberia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Liberia 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 Liberia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.