Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,281 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
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Arecibo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Arecibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,281 in Arecibo.

Nosara $1,839
Arecibo $1,281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,005 in Arecibo.

Nosara $2,828
Arecibo $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,730 in Arecibo.

Nosara $3,818
Arecibo $2,730

Living in Nosara is roughly 44% more expensive than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Arecibo is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.13 $12.13

1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$81.2 $81.2

-24.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.55 $8.55

-12.05%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.42 $3.42

28.95%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.90 $1.90

-8.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.50 $1.50

-12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.05 $3.05

7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.09 $5.09

-12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.79 $1.79

-12.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.36 $3.36

-10.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.94 $1.94

29.38%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.48 $4.48

-20.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.78 $12.78

-41.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.48 $9.48

10.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.47 $13.47

3.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.97 $4.97

-52.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.59 $2.59

-37.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.81 $4.81

-0.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.84 $4.84

-66.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.69 $3.69

2.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.99 $3.99

-7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.53 $3.53

-67.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.60 $1.60

66.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.98 $11.98

-56.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.87 $15.87

25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.09 $3.09

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.06 $4.06

-10.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$40.63 $40.63

78.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.54 $2.54

-15.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$41.96 $41.96

-79.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.91 $0.91

67.03%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$40.4K $40.4K

-46.49%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.2K $28.2K

22.62%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$324 $324

-70.31%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$68.1 $68.1

-47.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$66.1 $66.1

-18.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.59 $10.59

-25.50%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$833 $833

-40.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.6K $12.6K

-6.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$56.1 $56.1

-3.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$61.5 $61.5

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$109 $109

-28.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$114 $114

-30.06%

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

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

$1,191 $1,191

-27.50%

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 Arecibo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Arecibo

$395 30.8% 12.1% $43

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Arecibo

$203 15.8% 4.3% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Arecibo

$459 35.8% 147% $273

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Arecibo

$153 12% 27.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.7% 75.8% $66

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 42.1% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

Arecibo pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $81.0 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $395 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

15:25 3:25 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

39,634

💱 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 = 0.889 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 = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Arecibo 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Arecibo

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 Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Arecibo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Arecibo – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,281 in Arecibo versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arecibo 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 Arecibo 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 Arecibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.