Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Curepe and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Curepe: $1,374 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Curepe
🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago
$1,374
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,374 per month in Curepe vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Curepe $1,374
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,382 per month in Curepe vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Curepe $2,382
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,389 per month in Curepe vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Curepe $3,389
  • Nosara $3,818

Curepe is about 25% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Curepe and Nosara sit above the global median – Curepe by 2%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.26 TTD 69.1
$12.35 ₡5,539
-16.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.5 TTD 589
$61.2 ₡27.4K
43.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.79 TTD 59.1
$7.52 ₡3,373
16.89%
Cappuccino
$3.82 TTD 25.73
$4.41 ₡1,978
-13.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 TTD 6.68
$1.74 ₡780
-43.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 TTD 5.22
$1.31 ₡587
-40.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 TTD 15.15
$3.28 ₡1,471
-31.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 TTD 25.56
$4.47 ₡2,004
-14.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.40 TTD 16.11
$1.56 ₡701
53.85%
White Bread (500g)
$2.54 TTD 17.06
$3.02 ₡1,355
-15.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 TTD 18.99
$2.51 ₡1,125
12.35%
Eggs
$4.50 TTD 30.30
$3.57 ₡1,603
26.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.81 TTD 45.80
$7.43 ₡3,333
-8.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.29 TTD 69.2
$10.52 ₡4,717
-2.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.79 TTD 79.3
$13.97 ₡6,265
-15.60%
Apples (1kg)
$5.40 TTD 36.30
$2.35 ₡1,052
129.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.97 TTD 19.99
$1.61 ₡720
84.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.66 TTD 24.63
$4.80 ₡2,152
-23.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.26 TTD 28.68
$1.61 ₡724
164.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.19 TTD 14.76
$3.80 ₡1,703
-42.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 TTD 12.41
$3.69 ₡1,657
-50.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.92 TTD 12.91
$1.13 ₡507
69.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 TTD 9.48
$2.66 ₡1,191
-46.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.78 TTD 38.86
$5.18 ₡2,321
11.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.96 TTD 128
$19.88 ₡8,916
-4.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 TTD 15.13
$2.90 ₡1,300
-22.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 TTD 20.84
$3.63 ₡1,626
-14.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.56 TTD 3.79
$1.12 ₡504
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 TTD 7.08
$2.14 ₡958
-50.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 TTD 8.30
$1.57 ₡703
-21.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.04 TTD 101
$8.52 ₡3,823
76.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 TTD 7.83
$1.52 ₡682
-23.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.1K TTD 249.6K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
71.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.5K TTD 279.4K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
20.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.4 TTD 608
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-6.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.4 TTD 346
$35.89 ₡16.1K
43.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.6 TTD 380
$53.6 ₡24.0K
5.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.01 TTD 60.6
$7.89 ₡3,539
14.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$392 TTD 2,640
$494 ₡221.6K
-20.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K TTD 73.7K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-7.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.2 TTD 364
$53.9 ₡24.2K
0.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.5 TTD 353
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-5.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 TTD 1,000
$77.9 ₡34.9K
90.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 TTD 699
$79.6 ₡35.7K
30.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$732 TTD 4,927
$788 ₡353.4K
-7.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$450 TTD 3,025
$794 ₡356.2K
-43.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,456 TTD 9,796
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-63.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 TTD 7,443
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-22.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Curepe
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$512 TTD 3,441
$864 ₡387.3K
-40.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.75
8.62
-33.29%

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

Last update for Curepe: 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
Curepe
$450
Nosara
$794 76.6% $345
Groceries & Markets
Curepe
$357
Nosara
$352 1.3% $4.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Curepe
$198
Nosara
$186 6.3% $13
Eating Out
Curepe
$180
Nosara
$212 17.5% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Curepe
$162
Nosara
$120 25.7% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Curepe
$18 *
Nosara
$87 385% $69
Getting Around
Curepe
$9.5 *
Nosara
$87 819% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $732 in Curepe 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 69% 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 $87.0 in Curepe versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇹 Curepe
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
07:44 7:44 AM
05:44 5:44 AM
2 h behind Curepe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,758
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TTD – Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Converter

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.56 TTD (1 TTD = 0.132 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Curepe Nosara 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Curepe
  • 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
Curepe vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Curepe and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,374 in Curepe, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Curepe compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,062 per month in Curepe and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Curepe and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Curepe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Curepe and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Curepe, where all-in costs run around $1,374, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Curepe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Curepe and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,374 in Curepe to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Curepe or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Curepe and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Curepe. 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.

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