Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cartago, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,733 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cartago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Nosara versus $1,733 in Cartago.

Nosara $1,846
Cartago $1,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Nosara versus $2,363 in Cartago.

Nosara $2,833
Cartago $2,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,820 in Nosara versus $2,993 in Cartago.

Nosara $3,820
Cartago $2,993

Living in Nosara is roughly 6% more expensive than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Cartago 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,578

$8.61 ₡3,886

43.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$35.63 ₡16.1K

70.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,558

$9.75 ₡4,400

-19.18%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,987

$4.55 ₡2,056

-3.30%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$2.24 ₡1,013

-23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$1.37 ₡618

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,506

$2.15 ₡972

55.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,049

$4.20 ₡1,896

8.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$2.39 ₡1,079

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,427

$2.48 ₡1,118

27.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$2.42 ₡1,093

-1.24%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.59 ₡1,622

-3.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,219

$8.73 ₡3,940

-18.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,657

$10.61 ₡4,788

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,305

$13.93 ₡6,288

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,032

$5.05 ₡2,279

-54.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡732

$1.33 ₡601

21.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,171

$4.37 ₡1,975

10.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$2.99 ₡1,350

-43.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,766

$2.16 ₡977

81.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,641

$2.25 ₡1,015

61.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡510

$1.07 ₡484

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$2.18 ₡985

20.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,268

$5.98 ₡2,700

-16.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,897

$15.61 ₡7,047

26.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,315

$2.85 ₡1,286

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,598

$2.02 ₡911

75.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$1.27 ₡571

-4.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

$74.1 ₡33.5K

-0.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡970

$1.31 ₡591

64.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$1.57 ₡711

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,960

$8.73 ₡3,941

0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.50 ₡675

3.33%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$34.7K ₡15.7M

-2.31%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$42.3K ₡19.1M

-9.00%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$53.0 ₡23.9K

79.64%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$36.31 ₡16.4K

-0.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$60.0 ₡27.1K

-13.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$68.0 ₡30.7K

-0.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

$77.5 ₡35.0K

-54.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,405

$7.16 ₡3,234

5.31%

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

$496 ₡224.1K

$559 ₡252.2K

-11.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$7,872 ₡3.6M

49.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$72.8 ₡32.9K

-24.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$56.8 ₡25.7K

-1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$121 ₡54.8K

-35.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$87.1 ₡39.3K

-9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡369.0K

$733 ₡331.0K

11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.8K

$725 ₡327.1K

11.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$1,920 ₡866.9K

107.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡645.2K

$702 ₡316.8K

103.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.9K

$1,305 ₡589.0K

-31.93%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Cartago

$725 41.8% 10.1% $81

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Cartago

$350 20.2% 0.2% $0.9

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Cartago

$186 10.8% 12.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Cartago

$149 8.6% 18.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Cartago

$152 8.8% 26.1% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Cartago

$82 4.8% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $733 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $36 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $350 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

110,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Nosara Cartago 190 km

From you

Nosara
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Nosara. 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: $817 in Nosara versus $733 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartago – a meal for two runs $36 versus $61 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $496 in Nosara versus $559 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Cartago gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cartago are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.