Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bonao

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonao: $686 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Bonao
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Bonao Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Bonao

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$686

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bonao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $686 in Bonao.

Nosara $1,839
Bonao $686

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,131 in Bonao.

Nosara $2,828
Bonao $1,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,575 in Bonao.

Nosara $3,818
Bonao $1,575

Living in Nosara is roughly 168% more expensive than in Bonao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Bonao is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.71 DOP 595

27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$49.73 DOP 3,047

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.65 DOP 468

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.00 DOP 123

120.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.05 DOP 64.6

65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.60 DOP 36.58

118.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.44 DOP 149

34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.14 DOP 192

42.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.03 DOP 63.3

51.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.04 DOP 63.6

190.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.66 DOP 40.65

280.30%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.21 DOP 74.1

195.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.01 DOP 307

48.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.61 DOP 344

87.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.51 DOP 399

114.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.36 DOP 145

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.63 DOP 38.55

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.69 DOP 165

78.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.37 DOP 83.8

17.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.97 DOP 121

92.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.57 DOP 95.9

135.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.00 DOP 61.0

13.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.51 DOP 31.40

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.24 DOP 321

-1.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.14 DOP 437

178.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.18 DOP 133

33.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.91 DOP 178

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.58 DOP 35.60

93.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$34.07 DOP 2,087

113.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.12 DOP 191

-31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.17 DOP 133

-27.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.41 DOP 147

253.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.40 DOP 85.5

8.57%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.8K DOP 1.4M

-5.28%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.1K DOP 2.1M

1.19%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$92.9 DOP 5,691

3.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$31.91 DOP 1,955

12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$35.96 DOP 2,203

49.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.33 DOP 449

7.64%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$248 DOP 15.2K

99.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,364 DOP 451.1K

61.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.46 DOP 2,785

18.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$46.18 DOP 2,829

19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$86.4 DOP 5,291

-9.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$126 DOP 7,698

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.56

-36.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bonao: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Bonao

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Bonao

$174 25.4% 50.6% $178

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Bonao

$150 21.8% 29.3% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Bonao

$161 23.4% 13.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Bonao

$137 19.9% 13.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bonao

$15 * 2.1% 83.2% $73

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Bonao

$50 7.3% 42.2% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $50.0 in Bonao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $174 per month, with Bonao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇩🇴 Bonao

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

158,034

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, 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).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Bonao 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bonao

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 Bonao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Bonao differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $686 including rent). Bonao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,029 in Bonao 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.

A monthly transit pass in Bonao runs roughly 113% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $248 in Bonao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $686 in Bonao versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bonao but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bonao 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 Bonao 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 Bonao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.