Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chalan Pago

For one person, living is cheaper in Chalan Pago: $408 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Chalan Pago

🇬🇺 Guam

$408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chalan Pago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $408 in Chalan Pago.

Nosara $1,844
Chalan Pago $408

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $217 in Chalan Pago.

Nosara $2,817
Chalan Pago $217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $25 in Chalan Pago.

Nosara $3,790
Chalan Pago $25

Living in Nosara is roughly 352% more expensive than in Chalan Pago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Chalan Pago is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

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

$1.78 ₡800

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$2.52 $2.52

-48.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$18.8K $18.8K

77.86%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

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

$496 ₡222.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$398 $398

101.00%

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

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chalan Pago: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Chalan Pago

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Chalan Pago

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Chalan Pago

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Chalan Pago

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Chalan Pago

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Chalan Pago

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Chalan Pago

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇺 Chalan Pago

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

14:18 2:18 PM

16 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

6,484

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chalan Pago 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chalan Pago

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 Chalan Pago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chalan Pago wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chalan Pago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,765 in Nosara and $612 in Chalan Pago 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.

At $408 in Chalan Pago versus $1,844 in Nosara, a $800 budget is realistic in Chalan Pago but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chalan Pago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Chalan Pago are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.