Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $1,934 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Escazu versus $1,844 in Nosara.

Escazu $1,934
Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,959 in Escazu versus $2,817 in Nosara.

Escazu $2,959
Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,984 in Escazu versus $3,790 in Nosara.

Escazu $3,984
Nosara $3,790

Living in Escazu is roughly 5% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 43% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.06 ₡5,423

$12.38 ₡5,567

-2.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 ₡27.8K

$60.6 ₡27.2K

2.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 ₡5,287

$7.81 ₡3,512

50.58%

Cappuccino

$4.49 ₡2,020

$4.37 ₡1,965

2.75%

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

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.78 ₡800

49.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡860

$1.35 ₡605

41.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,504

$3.39 ₡1,525

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,952

$4.31 ₡1,939

0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,100

$1.55 ₡699

58.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,389

$3.17 ₡1,425

-2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,124

$2.51 ₡1,130

-0.40%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,550

$3.53 ₡1,585

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ₡4,803

$7.37 ₡3,312

44.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ₡4,621

$10.46 ₡4,702

-1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 ₡6,358

$13.91 ₡6,253

1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₡2,322

$2.26 ₡1,018

128.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.56 ₡701

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,452

$4.70 ₡2,112

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 ₡1,350

$1.62 ₡729

85.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,702

$3.88 ₡1,746

-2.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,675

$3.79 ₡1,703

-1.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₡446

$1.07 ₡481

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡754

$2.61 ₡1,173

-35.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 ₡2,462

$5.16 ₡2,318

6.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₡8,505

$20.33 ₡9,140

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₡754

$2.91 ₡1,310

-42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,245

$3.67 ₡1,650

-24.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₡471

$1.31 ₡588

-19.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₡922

$2.19 ₡983

-6.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ₡834

$1.84 ₡829

1.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ₡3,636

$7.81 ₡3,512

3.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.56 ₡702

-5.13%

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

$28.0K ₡12.6M

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-16.36%

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

$36.6K ₡16.4M

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-3.92%

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

$94.5 ₡42.5K

$95.9 ₡43.1K

-1.38%

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

$29.94 ₡13.5K

$35.37 ₡15.9K

-15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$53.7 ₡24.1K

9.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 ₡47.3K

$67.5 ₡30.3K

56.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 ₡4,411

$35.43 ₡15.9K

-72.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 ₡3,445

$7.72 ₡3,472

-0.78%

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

$458 ₡206.0K

$496 ₡222.8K

-7.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 ₡32.3K

$54.6 ₡24.6K

31.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 ₡24.7K

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.3K

$79.8 ₡35.9K

59.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.6K

$77.9 ₡35.0K

70.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 ₡389.1K

$817 ₡367.3K

5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 ₡381.2K

$800 ₡359.6K

6.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 ₡867.0K

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 ₡674.7K

$1,396 ₡627.4K

7.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,404 ₡630.9K

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-79.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 ₡435.8K

$1,222 ₡549.4K

-20.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,792 ₡805.4K

$879 ₡395.2K

103.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Escazu: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$848 43.9%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 5.7% $48

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$363 18.8%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Escazu

$229 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 7.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$183 9.5%

Nosara

$185 10% 1% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 30.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$121 6.2%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 31.3% $38

Getting Around

Escazu

$16 * 0.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 479% $74

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 $866 in Escazu and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Escazu vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $353 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

Same time as Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Escazu Nosara 170 km

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Escazu is about 2 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: $866 in Escazu versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $458 in Escazu versus $496 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Escazu 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, Escazu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.