Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $1,665 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,665

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,665 per month in Cuenca vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Cuenca $1,665
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,429 per month in Cuenca vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Cuenca $2,429
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,194 per month in Cuenca vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Cuenca $3,194
Nosara $3,818

Cuenca is about 9% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Cuenca and Nosara sit above the global median – Cuenca by 23%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$12.35 ₡5,539

37.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 €40.02

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-26.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 €8.17

$7.52 ₡3,373

22.21%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.81

$4.41 ₡1,978

-53.74%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$1.74 ₡780

36.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.31 ₡587

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 €1.94

$3.28 ₡1,471

-33.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.03

$4.47 ₡2,004

-23.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.76

$3.02 ₡1,355

-34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.51 ₡1,125

-38.65%

Eggs

$2.54 €2.26

$3.57 ₡1,603

-28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.25 €14.45

$7.43 ₡3,333

118.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.06

$10.52 ₡4,717

-13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.09 €18.76

$13.97 ₡6,265

50.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.35 ₡1,052

11.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.61 ₡720

50.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$4.80 ₡2,152

-48.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.61 ₡724

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$3.80 ₡1,703

-47.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$3.69 ₡1,657

-39.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.13 ₡507

63.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$2.66 ₡1,191

-75.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 €5.63

$5.18 ₡2,321

22.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.39 €3.90

$19.88 ₡8,916

-77.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$2.90 ₡1,300

-66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$3.63 ₡1,626

-41.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.12 ₡504

46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.14 €28.59

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-55.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 €2.07

$2.14 ₡958

8.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.57 ₡703

-31.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.90 €26.60

$8.52 ₡3,823

250.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.52 ₡682

18.42%

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

$35.1K €31.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

62.53%

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

$28.6K €25.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-17.12%

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

$165 €147

$96.3 ₡43.2K

71.82%

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

$11.62 €10.34

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-67.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.65 €19.26

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-59.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.83 €34.54

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 €14.23

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-54.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.77 €7.80

$7.89 ₡3,539

11.15%

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

$341 €304

$494 ₡221.6K

-30.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,017 €7,131

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-32.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €81.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

69.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 €34.43

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-30.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$79.6 ₡35.7K

42.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 €811

$788 ₡353.4K

15.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 €611

$794 ₡356.2K

-13.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,181

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-66.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 €903

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-28.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,266 €2,905

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-52.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 €1,987

$1,224 ₡549.0K

82.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,425 €1,268

$864 ₡387.3K

65.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

8.62

-59.86%

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

Last update for Cuenca: 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

Cuenca

$687 41.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 15.6% $107

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$300 18%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 17.6% $53

Eating Out

Cuenca

$222 13.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 4.4% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$199 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 6.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$155 9.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$56 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 55% $31

Getting Around

Cuenca

$46 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 87.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $912 in Cuenca 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 65% higher in Cuenca, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cuenca versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $352 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:34 9:34 AM

01:34 1:34 AM

8 h behind Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,512

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuenca Nosara 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuenca
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

Cuenca vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,665 in Cuenca, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,497 per month in Cuenca and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Cuenca and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $1,665, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,665 in Cuenca to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cuenca. 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.