Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Barquisimeto

For one person, living is cheaper in Barquisimeto: $796 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Barquisimeto
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Barquisimeto Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Barquisimeto

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Barquisimeto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $796 in Barquisimeto.

Nosara $1,839
Barquisimeto $796

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,366 in Barquisimeto.

Nosara $2,828
Barquisimeto $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,936 in Barquisimeto.

Nosara $3,818
Barquisimeto $1,936

Living in Nosara is roughly 131% more expensive than in Barquisimeto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Barquisimeto is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.20 VES 8,953

21.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$50.7 VES 44.5K

20.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.67 VES 10.2K

-35.56%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.74 VES 1,525

153.45%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.46 VES 1,282

19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.11 VES 974

18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.28 VES 1,128

156.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.23 VES 2,839

38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.14 VES 1,882

-27.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.36 VES 1,192

122.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.34 VES 1,172

87.31%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.22 VES 1,950

60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.41 VES 5,630

15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.79 VES 5,963

54.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.41 VES 6,503

88.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.62 VES 4,058

-49.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.43 VES 1,255

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.72 VES 631

566.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.89 VES 782

80.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.96 VES 845

295.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.30 VES 1,146

183.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.64 VES 566

76.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.60 VES 1,402

66.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.52 VES 2,213

105.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.16 VES 8,918

95.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.24 VES 1,090

133.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.28 VES 2,001

59.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.43 VES 376

160.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$40.19 VES 35.3K

80.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.33 VES 2,926

-35.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.95 VES 1,710

-19.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$15.10 VES 13.3K

-43.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.76 VES 670

100.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.9K VES 21.9M

-13.18%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.3K VES 26.6M

13.80%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$15.23 VES 13.4K

532.24%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.76 VES 6,810

362.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$36.49 VES 32.0K

46.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.73 VES 28.7K

118.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$8.51 VES 7,475

310.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.97 VES 4,368

58.75%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$57.3 VES 50.3K

762.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$498 VES 437.4K

2280.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$46.83 VES 41.1K

15.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.42 VES 35.5K

37.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$94.4 VES 82.8K

-17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$80.4 VES 70.5K

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$215 VES 188.5K

267.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$138 VES 121.3K

474.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$476 VES 417.6K

728.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$318 VES 278.9K

346.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$469 VES 411.3K

1375.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$250 VES 219.2K

390.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$189 VES 166.1K

356.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.52%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Barquisimeto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Barquisimeto

$138 17.4% 82.6% $656

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Barquisimeto

$222 27.9% 37% $130

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Barquisimeto

$161 20.2% 24.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Barquisimeto

$59 7.5% 68% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Barquisimeto

$118 14.8% 1.8% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Barquisimeto

$43 5.4% 51.2% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Barquisimeto

$55 6.9% 36.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $215 in Barquisimeto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 356% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $51.0 in Barquisimeto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $222 per month, with Barquisimeto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇪 Barquisimeto

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

23:00 11:00 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,240,714

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Barquisimeto 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Barquisimeto

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 Barquisimeto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Barquisimeto differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $796 including rent). Barquisimeto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 356% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $215 in Barquisimeto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barquisimeto – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $796 in Barquisimeto – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $796 in Barquisimeto versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto 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 Barquisimeto 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 Barquisimeto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.