Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Atenas: $1,548 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
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Atenas Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Atenas

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $1,548 in Atenas, rent included.

Nosara $1,846
Atenas $1,548

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $2,527 in Atenas, rent included.

Nosara $2,833
Atenas $2,527

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $3,506 in Atenas, rent included.

Nosara $3,820
Atenas $3,506

Nosara costs about 19% more than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Atenas sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Atenas by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,578

$9.66 ₡4,361

27.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$56.4 ₡25.4K

7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,558

$11.79 ₡5,321

-33.16%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,987

$3.83 ₡1,727

14.88%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$2.77 ₡1,249

-37.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$1.94 ₡875

-30.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,506

$3.38 ₡1,525

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,049

$4.44 ₡2,005

2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$2.39 ₡1,079

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,427

$3.07 ₡1,384

2.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$2.25 ₡1,016

6.22%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.48 ₡1,571

-0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,219

$10.74 ₡4,847

-33.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,657

$9.55 ₡4,310

8.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,305

$10.41 ₡4,701

34.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,032

$4.52 ₡2,039

-49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡732

$1.62 ₡731

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,171

$2.65 ₡1,197

81.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$2.45 ₡1,107

-31.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,766

$3.81 ₡1,719

2.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,641

$2.60 ₡1,173

39.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡510

$1.12 ₡505

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$3.11 ₡1,405

-15.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,268

$6.04 ₡2,726

-16.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,897

$18.82 ₡8,497

4.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,315

$2.63 ₡1,188

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,598

$2.67 ₡1,204

32.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$2.21 ₡998

-45.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡970

$2.50 ₡1,126

-14.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$1.57 ₡709

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,960

$8.68 ₡3,917

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.50 ₡677

3.33%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$33.7K ₡15.2M

0.41%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$42.1K ₡19.0M

-8.52%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$94.0 ₡42.4K

1.34%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$35.77 ₡16.1K

1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$52.3 ₡23.6K

-0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$47.83 ₡21.6K

41.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

$11.06 ₡4,995

221.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,405

$7.55 ₡3,407

-0.13%

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

$496 ₡224.1K

$975 ₡440.3K

-49.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$6,667 ₡3.0M

76.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$72.0 ₡32.5K

-23.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$54.2 ₡24.5K

3.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$126 ₡57.1K

-38.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$130 ₡58.8K

-39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡369.0K

$666 ₡300.6K

22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.8K

$550 ₡248.2K

46.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$1,537 ₡693.8K

159.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡645.2K

$1,244 ₡561.7K

14.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.9K

$1,330 ₡600.6K

-33.25%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Atenas

$550 35.5% 31.8% $256

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Atenas

$358 23.2% 2.1% $7.2

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Atenas

$203 13.1% 4.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 0.8% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Atenas

$172 11.1% 42.9% $52

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Atenas

$19 * 1.2% 78.4% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Atenas

$63 4.1% 23.9% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $666 in Atenas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in Atenas, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $56 in Atenas. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Nosara vs $358 in Atenas – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $2,322 in Atenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $666 there versus $817 in Nosara.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $56 in Atenas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $975 in Atenas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,846 in Nosara and $1,548 in Atenas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Atenas to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.