Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Latacunga and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Latacunga: $782 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Latacunga
Learn more

Latacunga Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Latacunga

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$782

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $782 per month in Latacunga vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Latacunga $782
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,269 per month in Latacunga vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Latacunga $1,269
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,756 per month in Latacunga vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Latacunga $1,756
Nosara $3,818

Latacunga is about 57% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Latacunga sits 42% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 $2.55

$12.35 ₡5,550

-79.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.41 $28.41

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-53.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 $9.03

$7.52 ₡3,379

20.08%

Cappuccino

$2.79 $2.79

$4.41 ₡1,982

-36.73%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.74 ₡781

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.31 ₡588

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.28 ₡1,474

-7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.47 ₡2,008

-4.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.56 ₡702

-24.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.02 ₡1,358

-33.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.51 ₡1,127

-60.96%

Eggs

$1.75 $1.75

$3.57 ₡1,606

-50.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$7.43 ₡3,340

-34.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$10.52 ₡4,727

-51.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 $9.37

$13.97 ₡6,277

-32.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.35 ₡1,054

-36.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.61 ₡721

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$4.80 ₡2,156

-78.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.61 ₡725

-40.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$3.80 ₡1,706

-72.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$3.69 ₡1,660

-75.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.13 ₡508

-53.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.66 ₡1,193

-61.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 $5.90

$5.18 ₡2,326

13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 $10.09

$19.88 ₡8,934

-49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.90 ₡1,303

-49.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.63 ₡1,629

-38.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.12 ₡505

-66.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.94 $16.94

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-76.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.14 ₡960

-38.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.57 ₡705

13.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.05 $12.05

$8.52 ₡3,830

41.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.52 ₡683

-56.58%

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

$20.7K $20.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-4.18%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-9.45%

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

$39.72 $39.72

$96.3 ₡43.3K

-58.75%

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

$14.95 $14.95

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-58.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.59 $26.59

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-50.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.47 $27.47

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-61.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.83 $17.83

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-48.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 $7.57

$7.89 ₡3,546

-4.06%

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

$378 $378

$494 ₡222.0K

-23.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,776 $5,776

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-51.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 $40.29

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$77.9 ₡35.0K

62.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 $91.6

$79.6 ₡35.8K

15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 $295

$788 ₡354.1K

-62.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 $188

$794 ₡356.9K

-76.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 $723

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 $407

$1,419 ₡637.7K

-71.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,068 $1,068

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-84.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$739 $739

$1,224 ₡550.0K

-39.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.01%

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

Last update for Latacunga: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Latacunga

$188 24.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 322% $606

Groceries & Markets

Latacunga

$186 23.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 89.9% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Latacunga

$145 18.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.3% $25

Eating Out

Latacunga

$110 14.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 92.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Latacunga

$81 10.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 129% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Latacunga

$43 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 105% $45

Getting Around

Latacunga

$29 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 205% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $295 in Latacunga versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Latacunga versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $352 – making Latacunga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Latacunga

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

1 h behind Latacunga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,127

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Latacunga Nosara 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Latacunga
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

Latacunga vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $782 in Latacunga, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 135% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,173 per month in Latacunga and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Latacunga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $378 per month in Latacunga and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 90% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Latacunga, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Latacunga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $782 in Latacunga to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Latacunga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.