Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalupe, Costa Rica and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,601 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
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Guadalupe Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,601

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Guadalupe vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Guadalupe $1,601
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $2,490 per month in Guadalupe vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Guadalupe $2,490
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $3,379 per month in Guadalupe vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Guadalupe $3,379
Nosara $3,790

Guadalupe is about 13% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guadalupe and Nosara sit above the global median – Guadalupe by 18%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 ₡4,996

$12.38 ₡5,569

-10.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.87 ₡14.8K

$60.6 ₡27.3K

-45.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 ₡3,942

$7.81 ₡3,513

12.29%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₡1,460

$4.37 ₡1,966

-25.63%

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

$2.15 ₡966

$1.78 ₡801

20.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡837

$1.35 ₡605

37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,513

$3.39 ₡1,526

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,983

$4.31 ₡1,940

2.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₡973

$1.55 ₡699

39.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₡1,436

$3.17 ₡1,426

0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,098

$2.51 ₡1,131

-2.79%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,566

$3.53 ₡1,585

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 ₡4,319

$7.37 ₡3,314

30.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 ₡4,472

$10.46 ₡4,704

-4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 ₡6,223

$13.91 ₡6,256

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 ₡2,299

$2.26 ₡1,018

126.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₡734

$1.56 ₡702

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 ₡2,118

$4.70 ₡2,113

0.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 ₡1,695

$1.62 ₡729

132.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,759

$3.88 ₡1,747

0.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,666

$3.79 ₡1,704

-2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡499

$1.07 ₡481

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,392

$2.61 ₡1,174

18.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ₡2,004

$5.16 ₡2,319

-13.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.12 ₡9,047

$20.33 ₡9,144

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,241

$2.91 ₡1,310

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₡1,611

$3.67 ₡1,651

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡606

$1.31 ₡588

3.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡926

$2.19 ₡984

-5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 ₡721

$1.84 ₡830

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,019

$7.81 ₡3,514

14.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡637

$1.56 ₡702

-8.97%

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

$25.9K ₡11.6M

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-22.64%

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

$41.5K ₡18.7M

$38.1K ₡17.1M

8.96%

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

$35.93 ₡16.2K

$95.9 ₡43.1K

-62.51%

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

$26.33 ₡11.8K

$35.37 ₡15.9K

-25.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.4K

$53.7 ₡24.1K

1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 ₡30.1K

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ₡3,510

$7.72 ₡3,473

1.04%

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

$990 ₡445.0K

$496 ₡222.9K

99.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₡31.6K

$54.6 ₡24.6K

28.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 ₡19.8K

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡59.0K

$79.8 ₡35.9K

64.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ₡44.3K

$77.9 ₡35.0K

26.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₡368.4K

$817 ₡367.5K

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 ₡289.4K

$800 ₡359.8K

-19.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 ₡842.4K

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 ₡563.6K

$1,396 ₡627.7K

-10.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,232 ₡553.9K

$879 ₡395.4K

40.09%

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 Guadalupe: October 31, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guadalupe

$644 40.2%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 24.3% $157

Groceries & Markets

Guadalupe

$392 24.5%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 10.1% $40

Eating Out

Guadalupe

$196 12.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 8.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Guadalupe

$155 9.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.2% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guadalupe

$117 7.3%

Nosara

$185 10% 58.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Guadalupe

$83 5.2%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 0.4% $0.4

Getting Around

Guadalupe

$15 * 1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 481% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $819 in Guadalupe versus $817 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 40% higher in Guadalupe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Guadalupe versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Guadalupe vs $353 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

Same time as Guadalupe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Guadalupe Nosara 180 km

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Guadalupe
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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

Guadalupe vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,601 in Guadalupe, $1,844 in Nosara – Guadalupe comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,401 per month in Guadalupe and $2,765 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $819 in Guadalupe and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Guadalupe and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,601 in Guadalupe and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,601 in Guadalupe to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.