Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Encarnacion and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Encarnacion: $838 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Encarnacion
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Encarnacion Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Encarnacion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$838

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $838 in Encarnacion versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Encarnacion $838
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,272 in Encarnacion versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Encarnacion $1,272
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,706 in Encarnacion versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Encarnacion $1,706
Nosara $3,712

Living in Encarnacion costs roughly 54% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Encarnacion is 37% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 ₲24.2K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-65.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 ₲195.9K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-42.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₲37.7K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-12.07%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₲14.1K

$4.31 ₡1,941

-42.23%

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

$1.48 ₲8,399

$1.72 ₡773

-13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₲2,914

$1.35 ₡608

-62.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ₲5,446

$3.24 ₡1,459

-70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₲11.5K

$4.48 ₡2,018

-54.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ₲6,064

$1.57 ₡707

-31.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ₲4,768

$3.17 ₡1,429

-73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₲10.2K

$2.42 ₡1,091

-26.03%

Eggs

$1.58 ₲8,972

$3.57 ₡1,609

-55.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.38 ₲30.5K

$7.43 ₡3,349

-27.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ₲18.4K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-68.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.53 ₲31.4K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-59.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ₲11.6K

$2.32 ₡1,044

-12.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 ₲4,426

$1.61 ₡728

-51.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 ₲5,351

$4.74 ₡2,138

-80.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 ₲9,386

$1.66 ₡747

-0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ₲5,104

$3.72 ₡1,679

-75.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ₲4,977

$3.57 ₡1,611

-75.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ₲3,163

$1.10 ₡497

-49.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₲2,860

$2.55 ₡1,149

-80.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 ₲8,644

$4.95 ₡2,232

-69.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 ₲30.6K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-73.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₲4,629

$2.79 ₡1,256

-70.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₲8,345

$3.53 ₡1,589

-58.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₲2,658

$1.19 ₡537

-60.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 ₲199.1K

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-51.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₲7,575

$2.24 ₡1,011

-40.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₲4,004

$1.55 ₡701

-54.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 ₲38.2K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-24.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₲6,864

$1.57 ₡708

-22.93%

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

$13.8K ₲78.2M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-36.85%

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

$26.3K ₲149.5M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-23.94%

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

$44.25 ₲251.2K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-52.65%

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

$13.05 ₲74.0K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-62.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.56 ₲105.3K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-63.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.43 ₲172.7K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-57.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 ₲74.7K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-62.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ₲33.6K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-24.49%

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

$195 ₲1.1M

$490 ₡220.7K

-60.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,335 ₲18.9M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-71.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 ₲324.8K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

6.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.13 ₲159.6K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-49.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 ₲383.9K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 ₲391.9K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₲2.9M

$786 ₡354.3K

-35.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₲1.8M

$780 ₡351.6K

-58.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ₲3.7M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-82.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₲3.0M

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-62.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,548 ₲8.8M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-77.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,403 ₲8.0M

$1,201 ₡541.3K

16.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$361 ₲2.0M

$876 ₡395.0K

-58.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

8.62

10.21%

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

Last update for Encarnacion: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Encarnacion

$324 39.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 141% $456

Groceries & Markets

Encarnacion

$139 16.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 152% $211

Eating Out

Encarnacion

$101 12.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 108% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Encarnacion

$100 12.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 20.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Encarnacion

$76 9.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 137% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Encarnacion

$42 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 106% $45

Getting Around

Encarnacion

$42 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 108% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Encarnacion and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Encarnacion vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $350 per month, with Encarnacion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Encarnacion

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

3 h behind Encarnacion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,600

4,912

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,361 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Encarnacion Nosara 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Encarnacion
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

Encarnacion vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Encarnacion and Nosara differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($838 vs $1,837 including rent). Encarnacion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Encarnacion versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $838 per month in Encarnacion versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Encarnacion runs roughly 105% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $838 in Encarnacion versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Encarnacion but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Encarnacion 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, Encarnacion 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 Encarnacion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.