Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Castle Rock, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Castle Rock, CO: $1,249 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Castle Rock, CO
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Castle Rock, CO Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Castle Rock, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Castle Rock, CO

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 Castle Rock, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $1,249 in Castle Rock, CO.

Nosara $1,844
Castle Rock, CO $1,249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $1,975 in Castle Rock, CO.

Nosara $2,817
Castle Rock, CO $1,975

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $2,702 in Castle Rock, CO.

Nosara $3,790
Castle Rock, CO $2,702

Living in Nosara is roughly 48% more expensive than in Castle Rock, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Castle Rock, CO is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$22.20 $22.20

-44.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$64.5 $64.5

-6.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$9.21 $9.21

-15.20%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$5.64 $5.64

-22.52%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$2.56 $2.56

-30.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.97 $1.97

-31.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$6.78 $6.78

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$5.98 $5.98

-27.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.00 $1.00

55.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$2.98 $2.98

6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$2.81 $2.81

-10.68%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.38 $4.38

-19.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$11.07 $11.07

-33.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$9.32 $9.32

12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$19.29 $19.29

-27.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$4.95 $4.95

-54.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.39 $1.39

12.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$3.62 $3.62

29.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$5.37 $5.37

-69.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$2.88 $2.88

34.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.23 $3.23

17.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.31 $1.31

-18.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$1.76 $1.76

48.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$10.40 $10.40

-50.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$12.06 $12.06

68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.56 $2.56

13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$2.62 $2.62

40.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.54 $2.54

-13.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.83 $1.83

0.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$24.86 $24.86

-68.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$0.74 $0.74

110.81%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$28.4K $28.4K

17.51%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$26.0K $26.0K

46.68%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$209 $209

-54.19%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$39.22 $39.22

-9.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$70.7 $70.7

-24.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$60.1 $60.1

12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$11.90 $11.90

-35.13%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$1,285 $1,285

-61.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.3K $11.3K

5.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$54.2 $54.2

0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$49.30 $49.30

11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$79.4 $79.4

0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$114 $114

-31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

$5,943 $5,943

-85.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.77

27.33%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Castle Rock, CO: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Castle Rock, CO

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Castle Rock, CO

$364 29.1% 3.3% $12

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Castle Rock, CO

$337 27% 58.1% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Castle Rock, CO

$319 25.6% 72.6% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Castle Rock, CO

$134 10.7% 11% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Castle Rock, CO

$12 * 0.9% 87% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Castle Rock, CO

$84 6.7% 1.2% $1

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

Cost Breakdown

Castle Rock, CO pays about 6.8 times 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 $65 in Castle Rock, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $364 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Castle Rock, CO

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

13:15 1:15 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

73,158

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Castle Rock, CO 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Castle Rock, CO

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 Castle Rock, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,844 in Nosara and $1,249 in Castle Rock, CO, so Castle Rock, CO is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,844 per month in Nosara versus $1,249 in Castle Rock, CO – Castle Rock, CO is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Castle Rock, CO are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.