Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Minas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Minas: $1,069 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Minas
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Minas Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Minas

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,069

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,069 per month in Minas vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Minas $1,069
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,734 per month in Minas vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Minas $1,734
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,400 per month in Minas vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Minas $2,400
Nosara $3,814

Minas is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Minas sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 UYU 597

$12.34 ₡5,535

20.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 UYU 2,799

$61.3 ₡27.5K

13.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.61 UYU 586

$7.76 ₡3,481

88.27%

Cappuccino

$4.66 UYU 187

$4.44 ₡1,992

4.95%

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

$2.77 UYU 111

$1.79 ₡803

54.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 UYU 80.7

$1.29 ₡580

55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 UYU 196

$3.24 ₡1,451

50.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 UYU 154

$4.43 ₡1,985

-13.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 UYU 55.8

$1.55 ₡696

-10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 UYU 116

$3.08 ₡1,380

-5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 UYU 69.1

$2.53 ₡1,133

-32.02%

Eggs

$4.61 UYU 185

$3.45 ₡1,546

33.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 UYU 567

$7.32 ₡3,284

92.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 UYU 455

$10.24 ₡4,594

10.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 UYU 482

$14.10 ₡6,326

-14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 UYU 115

$2.29 ₡1,027

24.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 UYU 113

$1.64 ₡737

71.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.5

$4.79 ₡2,149

-63.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 UYU 124

$1.64 ₡735

88.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 UYU 76.9

$3.85 ₡1,727

-50.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 UYU 86.2

$3.75 ₡1,681

-42.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.5

$1.09 ₡488

31.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 UYU 76.3

$2.59 ₡1,160

-26.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 UYU 214

$5.12 ₡2,295

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 UYU 341

$19.92 ₡8,931

-57.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.6

$2.80 ₡1,255

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 UYU 114

$3.52 ₡1,580

-19.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 UYU 30.54

$1.22 ₡549

-37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 UYU 75.5

$2.17 ₡973

-13.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.02

$1.56 ₡698

-74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.47 UYU 420

$8.67 ₡3,886

20.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 UYU 86.5

$1.55 ₡697

39.35%

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

$26.4K UYU 1.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-23.48%

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

$36.8K UYU 1.5M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-4.95%

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

$186 UYU 7,459

$94.8 ₡42.5K

95.99%

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

$20.60 UYU 827

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-43.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.30 UYU 1,818

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-14.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 UYU 499

$7.91 ₡3,548

57.14%

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

$615 UYU 24.7K

$490 ₡219.9K

25.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K UYU 443.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-7.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,185

$54.8 ₡24.6K

90.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 UYU 2,284

$55.9 ₡25.1K

1.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 UYU 4,899

$80.4 ₡36.0K

51.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 UYU 5,247

$77.9 ₡34.9K

67.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

8.62

-33.41%

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

Last update for Minas: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Minas

$329 30.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 6.1% $20

Eating Out

Minas

$270 25.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 21.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Minas

$252 23.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 26.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Minas

$186 17.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 35% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Minas

$25 * 2.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 261% $65

Getting Around

Minas

$6.9 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 1182% $82

Accommodation & Living

Minas

- * 0%

Nosara

$790 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Minas versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Minas vs $350 in Nosara – so Minas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Minas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

10:02 10:02 AM

3 h behind Minas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,446

4,912

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Minas Nosara 5,880 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Minas
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

Minas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,069 in Minas, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,604 per month in Minas and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,069 in Minas and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 72%.

Kindergarten costs $615 per month in Minas and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Minas, where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Minas 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 $1,069 in Minas to $1,835 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 Minas. 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.