Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Carpegna

For one person, living is cheaper in Carpegna: $1,661 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Carpegna
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Carpegna Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Carpegna

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Carpegna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,661 in Carpegna.

Nosara $1,839
Carpegna $1,661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,557 in Carpegna.

Nosara $2,828
Carpegna $2,557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,453 in Carpegna.

Nosara $3,818
Carpegna $3,453

Living in Nosara is roughly 11% more expensive than in Carpegna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Carpegna 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$18.55 €16.50

-33.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$74.0 €65.8

-17.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.51 €9.35

-28.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.97 €1.75

123.86%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.26 €2.90

-46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.41 €1.25

-7.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.89 €5.23

-44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.40 €4.80

-17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.37 €1.21

13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.52 €2.24

19.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.92 €2.60

-14.04%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.71 €3.30

-3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$17.20 €15.30

-56.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$11.75 €10.45

-10.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.14 €16.14

-22.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.30 €2.05

2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.21 €1.96

-27.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.67 €2.37

79.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.25 €2.89

-50.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.91 €1.70

98.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.71 €1.52

115.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.38 €1.23

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.59 €0.53

350.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.10 €5.43

-15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.36 €6.54

170.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.67 €1.49

73.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.39 €2.13

51.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.51 €1.35

-25.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.04 €37.40

72.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.08 €5.40

-64.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.76 €1.57

-10.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$26.80 €23.83

-68.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.18 €1.94

-30.28%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.2K €31.4K

-38.70%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.0K €28.4K

7.99%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$213 €190

-54.81%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.66 €8.59

271.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.14 €26.81

77.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$56.9 €50.6

25.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$23.32 €20.74

49.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.61 €8.55

-17.90%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$503 €448

-1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,683 €7,724

36.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$83.5 €74.3

-35.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.54 €29.84

65.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$87.1 €77.5

-10.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$125 €112

-36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$668 €594

17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$527 €469

50.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,011 €899

289.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$874 €778

62.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,490 €2,215

177.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,220 €1,975

-44.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.33

158.86%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Carpegna: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Carpegna

$527 31.7% 33.7% $268

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Carpegna

$331 20% 5.9% $21

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Carpegna

$262 15.8% 23.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Carpegna

$253 15.2% 36.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Carpegna

$148 8.9% 23.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Carpegna

$76 4.6% 12.9% $11

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Carpegna

$63 3.8% 27.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $668 in Carpegna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $74.0 in Carpegna. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $331, with Carpegna cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 Carpegna

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

03:10 3:10 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Carpegna 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Carpegna

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 Carpegna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carpegna is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,491 in Carpegna to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $668 in Carpegna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Carpegna – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,661 in Carpegna – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,661 in Carpegna versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Carpegna but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Carpegna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Carpegna 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 Carpegna 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 Carpegna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.