Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Calarasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $358 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
Learn more

Calarasi Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Calarasi

🇲🇩 Moldova

$358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Calarasi

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $358 in Calarasi, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Calarasi $358

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $585 in Calarasi, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Calarasi $585

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $811 in Calarasi, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Calarasi $811

Nosara costs about 414% more than Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Calarasi is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.15 MDL 198

10.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$22.51 MDL 400

171.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.93 MDL 123

8.51%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.42 MDL 25.19

210.56%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.75 MDL 13.24

132.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.47 MDL 8.31

178.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.09 MDL 19.42

200.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.42 MDL 25.22

214.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.99 MDL 17.59

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.36 MDL 6.31

738.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.93 MDL 34.20

84.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.94 MDL 34.42

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.63 MDL 11.18

503.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.52 MDL 9.20

411.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

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

$1.10 MDL 19.54

94.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.68 MDL 29.75

-9.52%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.5K MDL 364.8K

68.03%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$58.4 MDL 1,038

64.77%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.57 MDL 117

446.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$10.12 MDL 180

429.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.41 MDL 60.5

131.38%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.26 MDL 591

62.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.87 MDL 584

68.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$108 MDL 1,922

-28.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$33.44 MDL 594

138.07%

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

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Calarasi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Calarasi

$41 * 11.4% 88.4% $311

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Calarasi

$140 39.2% 33.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Calarasi

$75 21% 59.5% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Calarasi

$94 26.2% 22.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Calarasi

$6.8 * 1.9% 92.2% $81

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Calarasi

$1.1 * 0.3% 98.7% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $23.00 in Calarasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $41.00 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇩 Calarasi

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

06:19 6:19 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

16,100

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Calarasi 10,930 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Calarasi

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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 414%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $536 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 762% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $23.00 in Calarasi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $358, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calarasi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Calarasi. 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.