Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Agana Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Agana Heights: $1,009 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Agana Heights

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Agana Heights

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Agana Heights actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,009 in Agana Heights.

Nosara $1,837
Agana Heights $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,355 in Agana Heights.

Nosara $2,775
Agana Heights $1,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,701 in Agana Heights.

Nosara $3,712
Agana Heights $1,701

Living in Nosara is roughly 82% more expensive than in Agana Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Agana Heights is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.75 $1.75

-10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$4.76 $4.76

-33.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.77 $1.77

36.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.91 $3.91

-8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$26.95 $26.95

-72.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.46 $6.46

61.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$17.29 $17.29

-20.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.88 $3.88

-40.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.17 $1.17

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.91 $1.91

148.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$6.49 $6.49

-74.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.78 $2.78

33.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.80 $2.80

27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$4.06 $4.06

-72.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.96 $1.96

30.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$9.85 $9.85

-49.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$12.03 $12.03

66.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.74 $1.74

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.53 $1.53

130.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.97 $2.97

-59.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$60.3 $60.3

19.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$9.83 $9.83

-77.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$38.4K $38.4K

-43.23%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$34.9K $34.9K

-0.64%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$342 $342

-72.70%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$75.6 $75.6

-53.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$96.5 $96.5

-46.61%

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)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

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 Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Agana Heights: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Agana Heights

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Agana Heights

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Agana Heights

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Agana Heights

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Agana Heights

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Agana Heights

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Agana Heights

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇺 Agana Heights

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

16:37 4:37 PM

16 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,940

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Agana Heights 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Agana Heights

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

Nosara vs Agana Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agana Heights wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agana Heights the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $1,513 in Agana Heights to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,009 in Agana Heights – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,009 in Agana Heights versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agana Heights but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Agana Heights the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Agana Heights delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,009 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Agana Heights hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Agana Heights 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 Agana Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.