Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $252 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Altos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $252 in Altos.

Nosara $1,837
Altos $252

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $375 in Altos.

Nosara $2,775
Altos $375

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $498 in Altos.

Nosara $3,712
Altos $498

Living in Nosara is roughly 628% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Altos is 81% 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

$0.49 ₲2,760

220.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.85 ₲4,814

272.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$0.99 ₲5,610

144.44%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.89 ₲10.7K

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.08 ₲34.5K

22.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$3.53 ₲20.0K

195.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.42 ₲30.8K

152.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.34 ₲13.3K

-0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.27 ₲7,217

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.36 ₲7,738

248.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.85 ₲10.5K

-10.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.17 ₲6,637

217.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.34 ₲7,629

166.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.21 ₲6,871

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.87 ₲4,924

193.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$0.96 ₲5,443

415.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.89 ₲44.8K

153.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$0.69 ₲3,908

304.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$0.77 ₲4,370

358.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.38 ₲2,163

213.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$11.91 ₲67.6K

505.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.68 ₲9,529

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.73 ₲4,140

112.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.18 ₲6,684

33.05%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$19.0K ₲108.1M

14.46%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$23.2K ₲131.7M

49.28%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$35.18 ₲199.7K

165.63%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$7.84 ₲44.5K

347.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$14.12 ₲80.1K

264.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$3.49 ₲19.8K

124.64%

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

$24.94 ₲141.6K

114.68%

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

$1,524 ₲8.6M

357.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,014 ₲5.8M

18.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$507 ₲2.9M

72.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Altos

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Altos

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Altos

–

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 73% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

03:17 3:17 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

4,763

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, 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).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,366 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Altos 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Altos

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 628% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 128% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 505% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $252 in Altos versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Altos 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 Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 628% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.