Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cabo Rojo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Rojo: $1,233 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Rojo
Learn more

Cabo Rojo Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cabo Rojo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,233

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cabo Rojo

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,233 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Cabo Rojo $1,233

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,944 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Cabo Rojo $1,944

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,655 in Cabo Rojo, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Cabo Rojo $2,655

Nosara costs about 49% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Cabo Rojo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.13 $10.13

21.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$82.8 $82.8

-26.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.98 $8.98

-16.26%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.56 $3.56

23.88%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.84 $1.84

-5.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.47 $1.47

-10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.49 $1.49

120.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.55 $3.55

25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.22 $2.22

-29.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.56 $3.56

-15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.45 $2.45

2.45%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.42 $7.42

-51.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.58 $12.58

-40.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.54 $9.54

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.49 $13.49

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.02 $5.02

-53.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.62 $2.62

-38.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.89 $4.89

-1.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.91 $4.91

-67.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.87 $3.87

-1.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.89 $3.89

-5.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.54 $3.54

-68.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.60 $1.60

66.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.98 $11.98

-56.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.45 $15.45

28.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.07 $3.07

-5.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.10 $4.10

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.51 $2.51

-14.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.48 $1.48

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$41.21 $41.21

-79.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.80 $0.80

90.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$40.1K $40.1K

-46.14%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.2K $28.2K

22.36%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$322 $322

-70.07%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$65.3 $65.3

-45.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$69.2 $69.2

-22.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.35 $10.35

-23.77%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$817 $817

-39.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.7K $12.7K

-6.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.3 $57.3

-5.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$60.5 $60.5

-8.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$109 $109

-28.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$112 $112

-29.11%

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

$4,204 $4,204

-79.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.55

31.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cabo Rojo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cabo Rojo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cabo Rojo

$415 33.7% 17.9% $63

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cabo Rojo

$178 14.5% 15.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cabo Rojo

$456 37% 146% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cabo Rojo

$152 12.4% 26.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cabo Rojo

$21 * 1.7% 76.3% $67

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cabo Rojo

$9.9 * 0.8% 88.6% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 387% higher in Cabo Rojo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $83.0 in Cabo Rojo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $415 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Cabo Rojo

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

50,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cabo Rojo 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cabo Rojo

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 Cabo Rojo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 49% more than Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,849 in Cabo Rojo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,233 in Cabo Rojo. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $817 in Cabo Rojo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Rojo, where all-in costs run around $1,233, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cabo Rojo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cabo Rojo costs $1,233 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Cabo Rojo. 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.