Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Arona

For one person, living is cheaper in Arona: $1,638 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Arona
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Arona Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Arona

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Arona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,638 in Arona.

Nosara $1,839
Arona $1,638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,516 in Arona.

Nosara $2,828
Arona $2,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,394 in Arona.

Nosara $3,818
Arona $3,394

Living in Nosara is roughly 12% more expensive than in Arona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Arona 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$16.44 €14.62

-24.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.6 €69.9

-22.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.70 €7.74

-13.56%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.63 €1.45

170.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.96 €2.63

-41.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.14 €1.02

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.83 €3.41

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.73 €5.10

-21.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.38 €1.23

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.17 €1.93

39.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.17 €3.71

-39.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.98 €2.65

19.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.34 €13.65

-51.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$14.32 €12.74

-26.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.89 €13.24

-6.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.73 €2.43

-13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.66 €1.48

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.13 €2.78

53.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.32 €2.07

-30.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.85 €1.64

105.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.74 €1.55

112.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.63 €1.45

-30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.65 €0.57

309.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.66 €5.92

-22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.49 €3.99

342.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.93 €0.83

211.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.69 €1.50

114.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.77 €1.58

-36.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$36.08 €32.09

101.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.49 €4.88

-61.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.61 €1.43

-2.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$30.45 €27.09

-72.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.02 €1.79

-24.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.2K €32.2K

-40.29%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.8K €31.8K

-3.47%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$197 €175

-51.07%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.48 €10.22

212.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.12 €24.13

97.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$47.80 €42.52

49.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$22.72 €20.21

53.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.18 €11.72

-40.14%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$872 €776

-43.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$18.9K €16.8K

-37.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$88.0 €78.3

-38.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.51 €33.37

47.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$107 €95.3

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$129 €115

-38.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$644 €573

22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$570 €507

39.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$999 €889

294.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$904 €805

56.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,772 €2,466

149.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,968 €1,751

-37.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.65

136.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arona: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Arona

$570 34.8% 28.2% $224

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Arona

$314 19.2% 10.7% $38

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Arona

$224 13.7% 5.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Arona

$235 14.4% 26.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Arona

$163 9.9% 35.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arona

$74 4.5% 15.1% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Arona

$57 3.5% 34.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $644 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $79.0 in Arona. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $314, with Arona cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 Arona

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

14,310

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Arona 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Arona

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 Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arona is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,457 in Arona 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $644 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $872 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,638 in Arona versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arona but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Arona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arona 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 Arona 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 Arona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.