Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noord and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Noord and in Nosara: $1,877 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Noord

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,877

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,877 per month in Noord vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Noord $1,877
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,082 per month in Noord vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Noord $3,082
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,288 per month in Noord vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Noord $4,288
Nosara $3,712

Noord costs about 2% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Noord and Nosara sit above the global median – Noord by 40%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.19 AWG 41.52

$12.22 ₡5,509

89.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 AWG 155

$60.2 ₡27.1K

44.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$3.07 AWG 5.49

$1.72 ₡773

78.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 AWG 3.55

$1.35 ₡608

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.71 AWG 15.59

$3.24 ₡1,459

168.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 AWG 15.99

$4.48 ₡2,018

99.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 AWG 3.27

$1.57 ₡707

16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 AWG 5.18

$3.17 ₡1,429

-8.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 AWG 5.26

$2.42 ₡1,091

21.49%

Eggs

$6.56 AWG 11.74

$3.57 ₡1,609

83.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 AWG 22.61

$7.43 ₡3,349

69.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 AWG 16.29

$10.42 ₡4,697

-12.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 AWG 21.99

$13.66 ₡6,156

-10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 AWG 8.50

$2.32 ₡1,044

104.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 AWG 4.11

$1.61 ₡728

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 AWG 8.87

$4.74 ₡2,138

4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 AWG 6.22

$1.66 ₡747

109.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 AWG 3.94

$3.72 ₡1,679

-40.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 AWG 3.69

$3.57 ₡1,611

-42.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 AWG 4.74

$1.10 ₡497

140.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 AWG 2.71

$2.55 ₡1,149

-40.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 AWG 18.19

$4.95 ₡2,232

105.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 AWG 17.90

$20.01 ₡9,020

-50.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.50 AWG 9.85

$2.79 ₡1,256

97.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 AWG 8.07

$3.53 ₡1,589

27.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.90 AWG 5.19

$1.57 ₡708

84.71%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 AWG 2,657

$786 ₡354.3K

88.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 AWG 2,127

$780 ₡351.6K

52.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 AWG 5,084

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-26.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 AWG 4,487

$1,407 ₡634.4K

78.12%

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)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 Noord: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noord

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Noord

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Noord

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noord

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Noord

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Noord

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Noord

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,484 in Noord versus $786 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 $87.0 in Noord versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Noord

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

23:14 11:14 PM

2 h behind Noord

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,193

4,912

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.498 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.498 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 AWG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Noord Nosara 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Noord
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

Noord vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Noord costs about 2% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,815 per month in Noord and $2,756 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,877 in Noord and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 2%.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Noord, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Noord at $1,877. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noord it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $1,877 in Noord. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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