Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aruba

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,376 in Aruba, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Aruba outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Aruba
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Aruba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Aruba

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aruba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,376 in Aruba.

Nosara $1,837
Aruba $2,376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $4,248 in Aruba.

Nosara $2,775
Aruba $4,248

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $6,119 in Aruba.

Nosara $3,712
Aruba $6,119

Living in Nosara costs roughly 23% less than in Aruba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Aruba 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$14.50 AWG 25.95

-15.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$90.9 AWG 163

-33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.62 AWG 19.01

-29.00%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.19 AWG 9.29

-16.96%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.35 AWG 4.21

-26.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.30 AWG 4.11

-41.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.24 AWG 9.38

-38.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.84 AWG 12.25

-34.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.67 AWG 2.98

-5.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.88 AWG 5.15

10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.04 AWG 5.44

-20.39%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.80 AWG 6.81

-6.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$13.97 AWG 25.00

-46.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.22 AWG 7.55

146.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.96 AWG 3.51

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.49 AWG 4.45

-52.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.38 AWG 4.26

-34.03%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$233 AWG 418

-59.95%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$133 AWG 239

-73.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$86.6 AWG 155

-40.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$302 AWG 541

62.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$17.9K AWG 32.0K

-33.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$64.9 AWG 116

-14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$118 AWG 212

-32.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$652 AWG 1,167

20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,419 AWG 2,540

-45.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$3,256 AWG 5,828

18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$4,034 AWG 7,222

-65.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,886 AWG 3,377

-53.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Aruba: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Aruba

$1.4K 59.6% 82% $639

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Aruba

$148 * 6.2% 57.8% $202

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Aruba

$269 11.3% 28.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Aruba

$453 19% 152% $273

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Aruba

$82 * 3.5% 31.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aruba

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aruba

$10 * 0.4% 88.5% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $652 in Aruba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aruba pays 115% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $91.0 in Aruba. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $148, with Aruba cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇼 Aruba

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

04:35 4:35 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,236

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.498 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, 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).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.498 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Aruba 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aruba

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 Aruba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Aruba differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $2,376 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in Aruba. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $652 in Aruba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aruba pay roughly 137% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $2,376 in Aruba – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,376 in Aruba, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Aruba. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Aruba 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Aruba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.