Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cumbaya and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $840 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Cumbaya
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Cumbaya Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Cumbaya

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$840

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $840 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Cumbaya $840
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,403 per month in Cumbaya vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Cumbaya $1,403
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,965 per month in Cumbaya vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Cumbaya $1,965
Nosara $3,818

Cumbaya is about 54% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cumbaya sits 38% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 $5.99

$12.35 ₡5,547

-51.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 $54.0

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 $7.62

$7.52 ₡3,377

1.33%

Cappuccino

$3.41 $3.41

$4.41 ₡1,981

-22.68%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$1.74 ₡781

-17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.31 ₡588

-16.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.28 ₡1,473

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.47 ₡2,007

31.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.56 ₡702

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.02 ₡1,357

-47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.51 ₡1,127

-40.24%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$3.57 ₡1,605

-38.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$7.43 ₡3,338

-14.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$10.52 ₡4,724

-46.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 $7.66

$13.97 ₡6,274

-45.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.35 ₡1,054

-5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.61 ₡721

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$4.80 ₡2,155

-73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.61 ₡725

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$3.80 ₡1,706

-67.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$3.69 ₡1,659

-71.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.13 ₡507

-23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.66 ₡1,193

-61.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.18 ₡2,324

13.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$19.88 ₡8,929

-49.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.90 ₡1,302

-46.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.63 ₡1,628

-16.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.12 ₡505

-69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 $20.68

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-71.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.14 ₡959

-29.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.57 ₡704

-7.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 $10.09

$8.52 ₡3,828

18.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.52 ₡683

-42.11%

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

$21.1K $21.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-2.20%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.24%

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

$28.10 $28.10

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-70.82%

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

$17.60 $17.60

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-50.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.90 $28.90

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-46.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.87 $26.87

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-62.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.73 $17.73

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-49.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 $6.49

$7.89 ₡3,544

-17.74%

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

$227 $227

$494 ₡221.9K

-54.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,876 $8,876

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-25.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 $71.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

32.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 $49.06

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-11.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$77.9 ₡35.0K

49.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$79.6 ₡35.8K

36.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 $278

$788 ₡353.9K

-64.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 $190

$794 ₡356.7K

-76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 $736

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 $357

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-74.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,240 $1,240

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-82.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$867 $867

$1,224 ₡549.8K

-29.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

8.62

17.40%

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

Last update for Cumbaya: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cumbaya

$197 23.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 78.7% $155

Accommodation & Living

Cumbaya

$190 22.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 318% $604

Clothing & Footwear

Cumbaya

$156 18.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.9% $36

Eating Out

Cumbaya

$152 18.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 39.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cumbaya

$75 8.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 149% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Cumbaya

$40 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 119% $48

Getting Around

Cumbaya

$31 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 183% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Cumbaya 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Cumbaya versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $352 – making Cumbaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cumbaya

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:08 2:08 PM

13:08 1:08 PM

1 h behind Cumbaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 October 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cumbaya Nosara 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cumbaya
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

Cumbaya vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 119% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,260 per month in Cumbaya 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 Cumbaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 251% less in Cumbaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $227 per month in Cumbaya and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cumbaya, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cumbaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cumbaya costs $840 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Cumbaya. 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.