Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aguadilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguadilla: $1,061 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Aguadilla
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Aguadilla Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Aguadilla

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aguadilla

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,061 in Aguadilla, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Aguadilla $1,061

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,730 in Aguadilla, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Aguadilla $1,730

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,398 in Aguadilla, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Aguadilla $2,398

Nosara costs about 73% more than Aguadilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Aguadilla is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.05 $12.05

2.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$59.4 $59.4

3.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.97 $8.97

-16.16%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.48 $1.48

197.97%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.25 $1.25

39.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.98 $0.98

33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.91 $2.91

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.04 $4.04

10.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.92 $1.92

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.70 $3.70

-18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.33 $2.33

7.73%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.31 $7.31

-51.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.58 $12.58

-40.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.68 $9.68

8.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.36 $13.36

4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.01 $5.01

-53.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.54 $2.54

-36.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.94 $4.94

-2.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.69 $4.69

-65.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.85 $3.85

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.99 $3.99

-7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.52 $3.52

-67.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.58 $1.58

68.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$12.12 $12.12

-57.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.56 $15.56

27.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.01 $3.01

-3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.90 $3.90

-6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.45 $2.45

-12.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.49 $1.49

5.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$42.66 $42.66

-80.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.01 $1.01

50.50%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$39.5K $39.5K

-45.25%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.7K $27.7K

24.60%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$120 $120

-19.60%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$69.6 $69.6

-48.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$68.5 $68.5

-21.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.39 $35.39

102.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.48 $10.48

-24.71%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$822 $822

-39.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.7K $12.7K

-6.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.4 $55.4

-2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$60.7 $60.7

-8.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$110 $110

-28.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$115 $115

-30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,973 $1,973

99.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,324 $1,324

-34.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.55

31.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aguadilla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Aguadilla

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Aguadilla

$411 38.7% 16.7% $59

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Aguadilla

$173 16.3% 18.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Aguadilla

$258 24.3% 38.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Aguadilla

$153 14.5% 27.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aguadilla

$56 5.3% 35.5% $31

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Aguadilla

$9.9 * 0.9% 88.6% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 53% higher in Aguadilla, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $59.0 in Aguadilla. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $411 in Aguadilla – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Aguadilla

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,919

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Aguadilla 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aguadilla

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 Aguadilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,592 in Aguadilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $59.0 in Aguadilla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aguadilla, where all-in costs run around $1,061, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Aguadilla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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