Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Buenaventura

For one person, living is cheaper in Buenaventura: $1,308 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,308

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Buenaventura

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,308 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Buenaventura $1,308

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,012 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Buenaventura $2,012

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,716 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Buenaventura $2,716

Nosara costs about 40% more than Buenaventura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Buenaventura is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$7.61 COP 24.1K

62.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$42.62 COP 135.1K

43.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.41 COP 29.8K

-17.53%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.59 COP 8,225

71.43%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.38 COP 4,370

29.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.89 COP 2,835

44.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.14 COP 9,959

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.73 COP 11.8K

18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.43 COP 4,538

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.41 COP 7,642

27.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.63 COP 5,169

55.21%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.95 COP 9,353

16.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$7.86 COP 24.9K

-6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.62 COP 30.5K

6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$12.27 COP 38.9K

14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.58 COP 11.4K

-36.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.47 COP 4,665

11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.91 COP 6,047

150.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.80 COP 5,696

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.49 COP 4,737

158.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.48 COP 4,694

153.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.19 COP 3,758

-8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.20 COP 3,811

115.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.95 COP 12.5K

29.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.14 COP 41.7K

51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.41 COP 4,474

98.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.38 COP 7,555

47.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.09 COP 3,450

11.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.60 COP 5,079

35.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.04 COP 6,457

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$9.02 COP 28.6K

-3.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.29 COP 4,080

20.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.7K COP 78.5M

39.63%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$35.4K COP 112.2M

9.53%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$126 COP 399.9K

-24.82%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$13.14 COP 41.7K

175.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$29.17 COP 92.5K

81.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$38.15 COP 120.9K

93.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$6.50 COP 20.6K

21.69%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$630 COP 2.0M

-22.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,516 COP 23.8M

58.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$84.9 COP 269.2K

-35.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$54.4 COP 172.5K

2.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$139 COP 440.5K

-42.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$103 COP 328.1K

-24.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$653 COP 2.1M

22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$475 COP 1.5M

66.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$997 COP 3.2M

301.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$875 COP 2.8M

61.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,966 COP 6.2M

259.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,628 COP 5.2M

-24.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.58

-25.56%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Buenaventura

$475 36.3% 39.9% $315

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Buenaventura

$273 20.9% 21.8% $76

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Buenaventura

$153 11.7% 28.3% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Buenaventura

$168 12.9% 8.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Buenaventura

$172 13.1% 42% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Buenaventura

$51 3.9% 42.9% $38

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Buenaventura

$16 * 1.2% 81.8% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $653 in Buenaventura. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Buenaventura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $273 – making Buenaventura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

12:59 12:59 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

365,607

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Buenaventura 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Buenaventura

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 Buenaventura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,308 in Buenaventura – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,962 in Buenaventura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buenaventura, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $43.00 in Buenaventura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Buenaventura, where all-in costs run around $1,308, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Buenaventura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,308 in Buenaventura to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Buenaventura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.