Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aguada

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguada: $1,176 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Aguada
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Aguada Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Aguada

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aguada

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 Aguada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,176 in Aguada.

Nosara $1,837
Aguada $1,176

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,209 in Aguada.

Nosara $2,775
Aguada $1,209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,242 in Aguada.

Nosara $3,712
Aguada $1,242

Living in Nosara is roughly 56% more expensive than in Aguada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Aguada is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.10 $11.10

10.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$11.88 $11.88

-36.53%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.02 $2.02

113.37%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.05 $2.05

-16.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.02 $1.02

32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.54 $1.54

110.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.94 $2.94

52.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.70 $1.70

-7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.48 $2.48

27.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.41 $4.41

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

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)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.91 $0.91

72.53%

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

$251 $251

-62.82%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$60.6 $60.6

-42.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$55.6 $55.6

28.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.93 $5.93

32.21%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$509 $509

-3.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$35.56 $35.56

50.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$39.63 $39.63

40.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$81.3 $81.3

-2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$99.5 $99.5

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$501 $501

56.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$456 $456

71.06%

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

$2,184 $2,184

-59.87%

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 Aguada: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Aguada

$456 38.5% 41.5% $324

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Aguada

$59 * 5% 83% $290

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Aguada

$175 14.7% 16.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Aguada

$312 * 26.3% 73.3% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Aguada

$115 9.7% 4.3% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aguada

$68 5.7% 22.5% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aguada

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $501 in Aguada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguada pays 149% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Aguada

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

04:09 4:09 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

41,000

💱 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 Aguada 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aguada

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 Aguada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Aguada differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,176 including rent). Aguada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 149% lower in Aguada. 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: $786 in Nosara versus $501 in Aguada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $509 in Aguada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,176 in Aguada – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,176 in Aguada versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aguada but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Aguada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Aguada 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 Aguada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.