Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durango, CO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $3,013 in Durango, CO, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Durango, CO
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Durango, CO Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Durango, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,013

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,013 in Durango, CO versus $1,844 in Nosara.

Durango, CO $3,013
Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,117 in Durango, CO versus $2,817 in Nosara.

Durango, CO $4,117
Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,221 in Durango, CO versus $3,790 in Nosara.

Durango, CO $5,221
Nosara $3,790

Living in Durango, CO is roughly 63% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durango, CO 123% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$12.38 ₡5,577

19.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$60.6 ₡27.3K

-1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.81 ₡3,518

4.10%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$4.37 ₡1,969

9.61%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.78 ₡802

65.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.35 ₡606

80.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.39 ₡1,528

72.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.31 ₡1,942

58.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.55 ₡700

-40.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.17 ₡1,428

3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.51 ₡1,132

29.08%

Eggs

$4.83 $4.83

$3.53 ₡1,587

36.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$7.37 ₡3,318

61.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$10.46 ₡4,710

-7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$13.91 ₡6,264

-20.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.26 ₡1,020

92.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.56 ₡703

-8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.70 ₡2,116

-10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.62 ₡730

217.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.88 ₡1,749

-19.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.79 ₡1,706

-11.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.07 ₡482

88.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.61 ₡1,176

10.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$5.16 ₡2,323

110.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$20.33 ₡9,157

-79.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.91 ₡1,312

-17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.67 ₡1,653

-3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡589

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.92 $29.92

$73.2 ₡33.0K

-59.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.19 ₡985

78.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.84 ₡831

16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 $35.08

$7.81 ₡3,519

349.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.56 ₡703

-46.15%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-10.89%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-34.20%

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

$160 $160

$95.9 ₡43.2K

67.17%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$35.37 ₡15.9K

47.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$53.7 ₡24.2K

27.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.87 $18.87

$67.5 ₡30.4K

-72.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$7.72 ₡3,478

54.02%

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

$1,344 $1,344

$496 ₡223.2K

171.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

96.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 $53.9

$54.6 ₡24.6K

-1.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 $42.79

$55.0 ₡24.8K

-22.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$79.8 ₡36.0K

29.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$77.9 ₡35.1K

53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,355 $2,355

$817 ₡368.0K

188.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 $1,885

$800 ₡360.3K

135.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 $3,431

$3,889 ₡1.8M

-11.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 $2,754

$1,396 ₡628.5K

97.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 $4,960

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-28.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,885 $4,885

$1,222 ₡550.4K

299.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,720 $4,720

$879 ₡395.9K

436.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

8.62

-26.22%

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

Last update for Durango, CO: November 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durango, CO

$1.9K 62.6%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 57.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Durango, CO

$351 11.6%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 0.5% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durango, CO

$281 9.3%

Nosara

$185 10% 34.2% $96

Eating Out

Durango, CO

$265 8.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 19.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Durango, CO

$144 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 16.5% $24

Getting Around

Durango, CO

$45 * 1.5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 101% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Durango, CO

$43 1.4%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 94.4% $40

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 $2,355 in Durango, CO and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durango, CO pays about 5.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Durango, CO vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $353 per month, with Durango, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durango, CO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:17 2:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

1 h ahead of Durango, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,071

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Durango, CO Nosara 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Durango, CO
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

Durango, CO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Durango, CO is about 5.4 times higher, 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: $2,355 in Durango, CO versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Durango, CO runs roughly 59% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,344 in Durango, CO versus $496 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,844 in Nosara versus $3,013 in Durango, CO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Durango, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Durango, CO and Nosara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Durango, CO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.