Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Baku

For one person, living is cheaper in Baku: $1,030 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Baku
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Baku Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Baku

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$1,030

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Baku

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,030 in Baku.

Nosara $1,837
Baku $1,030

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,600 in Baku.

Nosara $2,775
Baku $1,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,171 in Baku.

Nosara $3,712
Baku $2,171

Living in Nosara is roughly 78% more expensive than in Baku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Baku is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$8.86 ₼15.06

37.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$40.20 ₼68.3

49.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.02 ₼13.63

-5.99%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.42 ₼5.81

26.02%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.13 ₼1.91

52.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.62 ₼1.06

117.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.80 ₼3.06

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.88 ₼4.89

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.51 ₼2.56

3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.53 ₼0.90

498.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.49 ₼4.23

-2.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.07 ₼3.51

72.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$5.06 ₼8.61

46.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.30 ₼9.00

96.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.88 ₼20.19

14.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.28 ₼2.18

81.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.89 ₼3.22

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.61 ₼2.73

194.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.77 ₼3.01

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.73 ₼1.25

409.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.56 ₼0.95

537.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.79 ₼1.34

39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.72 ₼1.22

254.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.96 ₼5.04

67.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.73 ₼14.83

129.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.54 ₼2.61

81.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.82 ₼4.80

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.34 ₼0.58

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$21.52 ₼36.58

234.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.02 ₼3.44

10.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.61 ₼1.03

154.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$3.44 ₼5.85

157.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.64 ₼1.09

145.31%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$23.4K ₼39.8K

-6.80%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$21.1K ₼35.8K

64.49%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$65.5 ₼111

42.76%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$11.24 ₼19.11

212.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$15.14 ₼25.73

240.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$48.75 ₼82.9

46.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$16.46 ₼27.98

115.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.79 ₼9.84

35.41%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$326 ₼555

49.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,787 ₼11.5K

75.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$67.4 ₼115

-20.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$55.2 ₼93.8

1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$126 ₼214

-37.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$116 ₼197

-31.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$543 ₼922

44.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$316 ₼537

146.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,030 ₼1,750

274.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$513 ₼872

174.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,188 ₼3,719

218.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,307 ₼2,222

-8.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$564 ₼958

55.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.46

-8.88%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Baku: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Baku

$316 31.2% 59.5% $464

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Baku

$195 19.2% 44.3% $155

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Baku

$158 15.6% 24.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Baku

$92 9.1% 49% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Baku

$164 16.2% 36.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Baku

$60 6% 30.7% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Baku

$28 2.8% 67.8% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $543 in Baku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 55% 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 $40.00 in Baku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $195 per month, with Baku cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇿 Baku

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

10:01 10:01 AM

10 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,300,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, 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).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Baku 12,790 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Baku

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 Baku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Baku differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,030 including rent). Baku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $543 in Baku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $326 in Baku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Baku versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baku but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Baku 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 Baku 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 Baku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.