Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Arrest

For one person, living is cheaper in Arrest: $1,692 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Arrest
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Arrest Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Arrest

🇫🇷 France

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Arrest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,692 in Arrest.

Nosara $1,839
Arrest $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,690 in Arrest.

Nosara $2,828
Arrest $2,690

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,687 in Arrest.

Nosara $3,818
Arrest $3,687

Living in Nosara is roughly 9% more expensive than in Arrest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Arrest 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.07 €15.18

-27.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$55.5 €49.39

10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.59 €12.09

-44.67%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.92 €2.60

51.03%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.06 €2.72

-43.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.07 €1.84

-36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.32 €7.40

-60.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.43 €4.83

-17.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.29 €1.14

20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.69 €1.51

78.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.56 €2.28

-1.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.97 €3.53

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.14 €9.02

-26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$11.97 €10.65

-12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.82 €14.07

-11.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.02 €2.68

-22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.00 €2.67

-46.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.43 €1.27

235.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.16 €3.70

-61.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.78 €1.58

113.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.01 €1.79

83.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.60 €1.42

-29.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.16 €0.14

1562.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$12.68 €11.28

-59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.46 €4.86

264.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.46 €1.30

98.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.63 €1.45

122.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.88 €1.68

-40.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$41.07 €36.53

76.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.29 €2.04

-6.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.14 €1.02

37.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$32.87 €29.24

-74.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.18 €1.94

-30.28%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.3K €30.5K

-37.06%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$36.3K €32.3K

-4.80%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$207 €184

-53.48%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.86 €29.23

9.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.63 €28.13

69.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.48 €33.34

91.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$15.53 €13.82

-49.20%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$899 €799

-45.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,786 €8,705

21.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$129 €114

-58.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$46.89 €41.71

18.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$102 €91.1

-23.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$158 €141

-49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$806 €717

-2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$522 €464

52.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,433 €1,275

174.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,150 €1,023

23.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,381 €3,897

57.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,174 €2,823

-61.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.9

121.03%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arrest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Arrest

$522 30.8% 34.3% $273

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Arrest

$292 17.3% 17% $60

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Arrest

$285 16.9% 34.7% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Arrest

$271 16% 46.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Arrest

$196 11.6% 63.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arrest

$69 4.1% 21.5% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Arrest

$57 3.4% 35% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $806 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $56.0 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $292 per month, with Arrest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇫🇷 Arrest

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

900

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Arrest 8,960 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Arrest

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 Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arrest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,539 in Arrest 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 $806 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $899 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,692 in Arrest versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arrest but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Arrest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arrest 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 Arrest 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 Arrest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.