Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cento

For one person, living is cheaper in Cento: $1,634 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cento
Learn more

Cento Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cento

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cento

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,634 in Cento.

Nosara $1,839
Cento $1,634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,647 in Cento.

Nosara $2,828
Cento $2,647

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,660 in Cento.

Nosara $3,818
Cento $3,660

Living in Nosara is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cento, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Cento 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.84 €17.65

-37.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$87.8 €78.1

-30.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.20 €11.74

-43.03%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.20 €1.96

100.45%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.36 €2.99

-48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.55 €1.38

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.10 €5.42

-46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.56 €4.95

-19.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.36 €1.21

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.85 €2.54

5.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.57 €2.29

-2.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.89 €3.46

-8.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$18.10 €16.10

-58.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.11 €10.77

-13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.33 €15.42

-19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.16 €1.92

8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.70 €1.52

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.88 €1.68

155.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.47 €2.20

-34.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.32 €1.17

187.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.36 €1.21

171.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.70 €1.51

-33.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.56 €0.50

375.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.79 €6.04

-23.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.02 €7.13

147.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.60 €1.43

81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.87 €1.66

94.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.65 €1.47

-32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$44.56 €39.63

63.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.55 €4.05

-52.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.42 €1.27

10.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$27.64 €24.59

-69.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.03 €1.81

-25.12%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.8K €32.7K

-41.28%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.6K €31.7K

-3.10%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$234 €208

-58.80%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.00 €9.78

226.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.90 €24.82

92.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$56.9 €50.6

25.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$23.47 €20.87

48.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.89 €8.80

-20.22%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$547 €487

-9.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,422 €3,933

168.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$88.6 €78.8

-39.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$42.28 €37.61

31.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.9 €85.3

-18.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$150 €134

-47.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$533 €474

47.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$443 €394

79.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,047 €932

276.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$918 €817

54.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,197 €2,844

116.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,863 €1,657

-34.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,766 €1,571

-51.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.19

170.22%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cento: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cento

$443 27.1% 44.3% $352

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cento

$324 19.8% 8.1% $29

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cento

$286 17.5% 35% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cento

$273 16.7% 46.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cento

$170 10.4% 41.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cento

$77 4.7% 12.2% $11

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cento

$63 3.9% 27.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $533 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $88.0 in Cento. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $324, with Cento cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 Cento

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

16:58 4:58 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

35,582

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cento 9,770 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cento

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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cento wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Cento. 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: $788 in Nosara versus $533 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cento runs roughly 63% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $547 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,634 in Cento versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cento but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cento delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,634 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cento hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cento 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 Cento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.