Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia: $1,296 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia
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Monrovia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Monrovia

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,296

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,296 in Monrovia versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Monrovia $1,296
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,926 in Monrovia versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Monrovia $1,926
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,556 in Monrovia versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Monrovia $2,556
Nosara $3,712

Living in Monrovia costs roughly 29% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monrovia is 3% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 LRD 1,248

$12.22 ₡5,509

-40.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 LRD 1,850

$7.54 ₡3,399

44.16%

Cappuccino

$2.96 LRD 505

$4.31 ₡1,941

-31.32%

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

$2.01 LRD 343

$1.72 ₡773

16.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LRD 348

$1.35 ₡608

51.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 LRD 667

$3.24 ₡1,459

20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LRD 501

$4.48 ₡2,018

-34.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 LRD 363

$1.57 ₡707

35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 308

$3.17 ₡1,429

-42.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 LRD 870

$2.42 ₡1,091

111.16%

Eggs

$3.53 LRD 602

$3.57 ₡1,609

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 LRD 1,332

$7.43 ₡3,349

5.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 LRD 2,048

$10.42 ₡4,697

15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 LRD 2,303

$13.66 ₡6,156

-0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 LRD 272

$2.32 ₡1,044

-31.47%

Banana (1kg)

$8.28 LRD 1,410

$1.61 ₡728

414.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.11 LRD 1,721

$4.74 ₡2,138

113.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.03 LRD 1,878

$1.66 ₡747

564.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 LRD 384

$3.72 ₡1,679

-39.52%

Onion (1kg)

$10.54 LRD 1,795

$3.57 ₡1,611

195.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.77 LRD 812

$1.10 ₡497

333.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 LRD 350

$2.55 ₡1,149

-19.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 LRD 829

$4.95 ₡2,232

-1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 LRD 1,219

$20.01 ₡9,020

-64.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 LRD 413

$2.79 ₡1,256

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 LRD 586

$3.53 ₡1,589

-2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 LRD 518

$1.19 ₡537

155.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.82 LRD 3,374

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-72.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 LRD 350

$2.24 ₡1,011

-8.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 LRD 324

$1.55 ₡701

23.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.14 LRD 4,280

$8.86 ₡3,993

183.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 LRD 208

$1.57 ₡708

-22.29%

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

$19.8K LRD 3.4M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-8.99%

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

$14.7K LRD 2.5M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-57.53%

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

$149 LRD 25.4K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

59.70%

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

$22.06 LRD 3,756

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-37.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$184 LRD 31.2K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

256.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 LRD 10.6K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-12.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 LRD 1,710

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-71.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 LRD 876

$7.84 ₡3,535

-34.44%

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

$98.2 LRD 16.7K

$490 ₡220.7K

-79.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,018 LRD 173.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-91.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.95 LRD 4,248

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-53.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.14 LRD 5,472

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-42.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 LRD 9,366

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-30.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 LRD 15.6K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 LRD 43.1K

$786 ₡354.3K

-67.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.0 LRD 16.4K

$780 ₡351.6K

-87.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 LRD 110.6K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-83.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 LRD 45.5K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-80.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 LRD 119.8K

$876 ₡395.0K

-19.72%

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 Monrovia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia

$456 35.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 23.4% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia

$355 27.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 49.3% $175

Eating Out

Monrovia

$169 13.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 24.3% $41

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia

$96 7.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 712% $684

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia

$92 7.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 31.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia

$73 5.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 19.9% $14

Getting Around

Monrovia

$44 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 99.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Monrovia and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇱🇷 Monrovia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

20:27 8:27 PM

6 h behind Monrovia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,010,970 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Liberian Dollar LRD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LRD – Liberian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇷 Liberian Dollar ($)

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 170 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD). 1 EUR = 191 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to LRD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monrovia Nosara 8,230 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia
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

Monrovia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monrovia wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monrovia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $253 in Monrovia versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.2 in Monrovia versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 264% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,296 in Monrovia versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monrovia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,296 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monrovia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monrovia 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 Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.