Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monument, CO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $3,207 in Monument, CO, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Monument, CO
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Monument, CO Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Monument, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,207

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,207 per month in Monument, CO vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Monument, CO $3,207
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $4,458 per month in Monument, CO vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Monument, CO $4,458
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $5,709 per month in Monument, CO vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Monument, CO $5,709
Nosara $3,790

Monument, CO costs about 74% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monument, CO and Nosara sit above the global median – Monument, CO by 137%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.93 $22.93

$12.38 ₡5,577

85.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$60.6 ₡27.3K

32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 $10.89

$7.81 ₡3,518

39.44%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$4.37 ₡1,969

30.66%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.78 ₡802

42.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.35 ₡606

52.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.39 ₡1,528

80.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.31 ₡1,942

62.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.55 ₡700

-37.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.17 ₡1,428

-7.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.51 ₡1,132

10.36%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$3.53 ₡1,587

22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$7.37 ₡3,318

50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$10.46 ₡4,710

-10.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$13.91 ₡6,264

39.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.26 ₡1,020

118.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.56 ₡703

-8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.70 ₡2,116

-2.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.62 ₡730

186.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.88 ₡1,749

-37.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.79 ₡1,706

-33.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.07 ₡482

106.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.61 ₡1,176

-32.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$5.16 ₡2,323

101.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.49 $16.49

$20.33 ₡9,157

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.91 ₡1,312

-14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.67 ₡1,653

-25.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡589

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡33.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.19 ₡985

15.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.84 ₡831

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.26 $25.26

$7.81 ₡3,519

223.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.56 ₡703

-32.05%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-16.51%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-33.07%

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

$197 $197

$95.9 ₡43.2K

105.75%

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

$55.2 $55.2

$35.37 ₡15.9K

56.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$53.7 ₡24.2K

28.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.50 $24.50

$67.5 ₡30.4K

-63.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 $12.16

$7.72 ₡3,478

57.51%

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

$1,290 $1,290

$496 ₡223.2K

160.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K $11.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-2.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$54.6 ₡24.6K

8.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 $35.51

$55.0 ₡24.8K

-35.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 $81.4

$79.8 ₡36.0K

1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$77.9 ₡35.1K

33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 $1,991

$817 ₡368.0K

143.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 $1,978

$800 ₡360.3K

147.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$3,889 ₡1.8M

-21.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 $2,965

$1,396 ₡628.5K

112.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡550.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.62

-22.62%

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

Last update for Monument, CO: 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

Monument, CO

$2K 61.7%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 59.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Monument, CO

$374 11.7%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Monument, CO

$348 10.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 38.7% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monument, CO

$322 10%

Nosara

$185 10% 42.5% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Monument, CO

$126 3.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.6% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Monument, CO

$49 1.5%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 69.8% $34

Getting Around

Monument, CO

$11 * 0.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 752% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,991 in Monument, CO 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Monument, CO versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monument, CO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

1 h ahead of Monument, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monument, CO Nosara 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Monument, CO
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

Monument, CO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monument, CO is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,810 per month in Monument, CO and $2,765 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,991 in Monument, CO.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Monument, CO and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Monument, CO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,844, than in Monument, CO at $3,207. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monument, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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