Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Terrenas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Terrenas: $873 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Las Terrenas
Learn more

Las Terrenas Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Las Terrenas

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$873

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $873 in Las Terrenas versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Las Terrenas $873
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,843 in Las Terrenas versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Las Terrenas $1,843
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,813 in Las Terrenas versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Las Terrenas $2,813
Nosara $3,818

Living in Las Terrenas costs roughly 53% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Las Terrenas is 35% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 DOP 506

$12.35 ₡5,539

-33.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.34 DOP 2,532

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-32.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 DOP 312

$7.52 ₡3,373

-32.31%

Cappuccino

$1.02 DOP 62.7

$4.41 ₡1,978

-76.87%

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

$0.67 DOP 40.74

$1.74 ₡780

-61.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 DOP 24.74

$1.31 ₡587

-69.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 DOP 154

$3.28 ₡1,471

-23.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 DOP 237

$4.47 ₡2,004

-13.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 DOP 60.5

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 DOP 69.1

$3.02 ₡1,355

-62.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 DOP 65.7

$2.51 ₡1,125

-57.37%

Eggs

$1.19 DOP 72.7

$3.57 ₡1,603

-66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.09 DOP 373

$7.43 ₡3,333

-18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 DOP 215

$10.52 ₡4,717

-66.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.66 DOP 286

$13.97 ₡6,265

-66.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 DOP 138

$2.35 ₡1,052

-4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 DOP 38.64

$1.61 ₡720

-60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 DOP 133

$4.80 ₡2,152

-54.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 DOP 137

$1.61 ₡724

38.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 DOP 134

$3.80 ₡1,703

-42.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 DOP 65.4

$3.69 ₡1,657

-71.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 DOP 57.3

$1.13 ₡507

-16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 DOP 59.9

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.71 DOP 289

$5.18 ₡2,321

-9.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 DOP 431

$19.88 ₡8,916

-64.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 DOP 144

$2.90 ₡1,300

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 DOP 120

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 DOP 154

$2.14 ₡958

17.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 DOP 200

$1.57 ₡703

108.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 DOP 70.0

$1.52 ₡682

-25.00%

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

$19.7K DOP 1.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-8.85%

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

$24.2K DOP 1.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.79%

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

$50.4 DOP 3,084

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-47.71%

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

$9.94 DOP 609

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-72.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.91 DOP 1,220

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-62.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 DOP 306

$7.89 ₡3,539

-36.63%

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

$100 DOP 6,143

$494 ₡221.6K

-79.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,338 DOP 327.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-54.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.30 DOP 1,672

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-49.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.76 DOP 2,742

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.9 DOP 3,856

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 DOP 4,079

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 DOP 47.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

-2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 DOP 23.7K

$794 ₡356.2K

-51.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 DOP 101.3K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-58.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 DOP 100.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

15.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,789 DOP 109.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-74.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 DOP 25.0K

$864 ₡387.3K

-52.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

27.61%

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

Last update for Las Terrenas: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Las Terrenas

$386 44.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 106% $408

Groceries & Markets

Las Terrenas

$169 19.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 109% $184

Eating Out

Las Terrenas

$118 13.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 79.1% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Las Terrenas

$91 10.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 32.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Las Terrenas

$80 9.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 132% $106

Getting Around

Las Terrenas

$19 * 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 362% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Las Terrenas

$10 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 775% $77

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 $770 in Las Terrenas and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 112% 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: $41.00 in Las Terrenas vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $352 per month, with Las Terrenas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Las Terrenas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

2 h behind Las Terrenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,713

4,912

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 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).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Las Terrenas Nosara 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Las Terrenas
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

Las Terrenas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 112% 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: $770 in Las Terrenas versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $100 in Las Terrenas versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $873 in Las Terrenas versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $873 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Las Terrenas 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 Las Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.