Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Byblos

For one person, living is cheaper in Byblos: $1,026 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 Byblos
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Byblos Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Byblos

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Byblos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,026 in Byblos.

Nosara $1,837
Byblos $1,026

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,629 in Byblos.

Nosara $2,775
Byblos $1,629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,231 in Byblos.

Nosara $3,712
Byblos $2,231

Living in Nosara is roughly 79% more expensive than in Byblos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$9.17 LBP 820.3K

33.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$42.55 LBP 3.8M

41.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.19 LBP 643.6K

4.87%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.94 LBP 262.9K

46.60%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.98 LBP 88.0K

75.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.01 LBP 90.5K

33.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.26 LBP 113.2K

24.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.66 LBP 59.4K

380.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.54 LBP 137.9K

57.14%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.15 LBP 192.3K

66.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.16 LBP 820.2K

-18.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.09 LBP 724.5K

28.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.19 LBP 1.1M

12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.03 LBP 271.0K

-23.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.95 LBP 174.7K

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.01 LBP 90.6K

369.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.06 LBP 184.1K

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.98 LBP 88.0K

279.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.98 LBP 87.3K

264.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.03 LBP 91.9K

6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.02 LBP 90.9K

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$3.98 LBP 356.3K

402.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.53 LBP 137.2K

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.98 LBP 177.4K

78.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.97 LBP 87.2K

22.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.98 LBP 87.5K

58.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.93 LBP 82.8K

68.82%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$22.2K LBP 2.0B

-1.84%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$22.6K LBP 2.0B

53.46%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$101 LBP 9.0M

-7.50%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$22.81 LBP 2.0M

53.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$24.64 LBP 2.2M

108.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$37.96 LBP 3.4M

88.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$40.26 LBP 3.6M

-11.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.17 LBP 910.4K

-22.91%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$392 LBP 35.1M

24.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$3,053 LBP 273.2M

289.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$98.2 LBP 8.8M

-45.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$101 LBP 9.0M

-44.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$118 LBP 10.6M

-32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$151 LBP 13.5M

-47.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$304 LBP 27.2M

158.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$223 LBP 20.0M

249.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$792 LBP 70.9M

387.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$403 LBP 36.0M

249.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,360 LBP 121.7M

412.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$841 LBP 75.2M

42.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,005 LBP 89.9M

-12.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Byblos: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Byblos

$223 22.1% 71.4% $557

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Byblos

$221 21.9% 36.9% $129

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Byblos

$138 * 13.7% 34% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Byblos

$148 14.7% 17.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Byblos

$211 20.9% 75% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Byblos

$58 5.8% 33.1% $29

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Byblos

$8.8 * 0.9% 89.9% $78

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 $304 in Byblos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $43.00 in Byblos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $221 per month, with Byblos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇧 Byblos

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

14:59 2:59 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

20,784

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,291 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.97 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Byblos 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Byblos

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 Byblos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Byblos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Byblos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $304 in Byblos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $392 in Byblos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Byblos – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in Byblos versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Byblos but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Byblos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Byblos 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 Byblos 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 Byblos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.