Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $732 in Chone.

Nosara $1,839
Chone $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,240 in Chone.

Nosara $2,828
Chone $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,748 in Chone.

Nosara $3,818
Chone $1,748

Living in Nosara is roughly 151% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Chone is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.77 $3.77

227.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$31.29 $31.29

95.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.91 $5.91

27.24%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.48 $2.48

77.82%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.86 $0.86

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.69 $0.69

89.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.07 $2.07

58.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.08 $4.08

9.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.12 $1.12

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.52 $1.52

98.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.57 $1.57

59.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.00 $2.00

78.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.64 $6.64

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.55 $4.55

131.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.32 $6.32

121.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.55 $1.55

51.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.97 $0.97

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.04 $1.04

361.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.03 $1.03

56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.13 $1.13

236.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.03 $1.03

258.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.71 $0.71

59.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.08 $1.08

146.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.01 $5.01

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.56 $8.56

132.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.63 $1.63

77.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.76 $2.76

31.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.31 $0.31

261.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$17.28 $17.28

320.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.32 $1.32

62.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.23 $1.23

27.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.58 $8.58

-0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.86 $0.86

76.74%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.7K $21.7K

-0.26%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.0K $33.0K

4.60%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$41.43 $41.43

132.42%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$13.59 $13.59

164.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$25.32 $25.32

111.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.32 $33.32

114.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.43 $15.43

126.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.33 $6.33

24.64%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$207 $207

138.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,025 $5,025

135.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.5 $55.5

-2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$47.21 $47.21

17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$109 $109

-28.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$79.7 $79.7

-0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$319 $319

147.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$169 $169

370.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$788 $788

399.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$451 $451

214.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,272 $1,272

443.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$807 $807

51.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Chone

$169 23.1% 78.8% $626

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Chone

$177 24.2% 49.7% $175

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Chone

$102 14% 51.7% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Chone

$80 11% 56.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Chone

$131 17.9% 9.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chone

$46 6.3% 47.4% $41

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Chone

$26 3.6% 70.2% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $319 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $31.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $177 per month, with Chone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Chone

🕒 Local time

18:21 6:21 PM

19:21 7:21 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

44,751

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chone 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chone

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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 151% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,097 in Chone 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 $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $732 in Chone – a 151% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 320% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $732 in Chone versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Chone 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 Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.