Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,473 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Boquete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,473 in Boquete.

Nosara $1,837
Boquete $1,473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,266 in Boquete.

Nosara $2,775
Boquete $2,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,059 in Boquete.

Nosara $3,712
Boquete $3,059

Living in Nosara is roughly 25% more expensive than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Boquete 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$6.46 PAB 6.46

89.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$39.90 PAB 39.90

50.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.58 PAB 7.58

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.88 PAB 3.88

11.08%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.34 PAB 1.34

28.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.21 PAB 1.21

11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.26 PAB 2.26

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.08 PAB 5.08

-11.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-12.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.08 PAB 2.08

52.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.14 PAB 2.14

13.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.54 PAB 2.54

40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.20 PAB 9.20

-19.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$7.77 PAB 7.77

34.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$15.16 PAB 15.16

-9.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.39 PAB 4.39

-47.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.97 PAB 0.97

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.49 PAB 4.49

5.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.27 PAB 2.27

-26.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.17 PAB 2.17

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.16 PAB 2.16

65.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.22 PAB 2.22

-50.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.63 PAB 1.63

56.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.09 PAB 5.09

-2.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.96 PAB 7.96

151.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.15 PAB 1.15

142.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.64 PAB 2.64

33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.39 PAB 1.39

-14.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$25.47 PAB 25.47

182.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.01 PAB 1.01

121.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$29.64 PAB 29.64

-70.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.18 PAB 1.18

33.05%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$25.1K PAB 25.1K

-12.97%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$22.2K PAB 22.2K

56.12%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$58.7 PAB 58.7

59.20%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$26.10 PAB 26.10

34.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$43.09 PAB 43.09

19.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$81.3 PAB 81.3

-12.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.41 PAB 17.41

103.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.53 PAB 6.53

20.06%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,039 PAB 6,039

96.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$24.55 PAB 24.55

118.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$25.25 PAB 25.25

120.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$44.67 PAB 44.67

77.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$841 PAB 841

-6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$701 PAB 701

11.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,562 PAB 1,562

147.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,309 PAB 1,309

7.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,163 PAB 1,163

499.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,151 PAB 1,151

4.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$799 PAB 799

9.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Boquete

$701 48.2% 10.2% $79

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Boquete

$293 20.2% 16.3% $57

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Boquete

$153 10.5% 27.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Boquete

$128 8.8% 29% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Boquete

$43 * 2.9% 64.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Boquete

$94 6.5% 8.3% $7.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Boquete

$42 2.9% 51.9% $45

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 $841 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 10% 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 Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $293 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

22:46 10:46 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, 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).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Boquete 380 km

From you

Nosara
Boquete

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 Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boquete is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $841 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,473 in Boquete – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,473 in Boquete versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Boquete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Boquete 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 Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.