Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Coquimbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Coquimbo: $555 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Coquimbo
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Coquimbo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Coquimbo

🇨🇱 Chile

$555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Coquimbo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $555 in Coquimbo.

Nosara $1,835
Coquimbo $555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $927 in Coquimbo.

Nosara $2,825
Coquimbo $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,300 in Coquimbo.

Nosara $3,814
Coquimbo $1,300

Living in Nosara is roughly 231% more expensive than in Coquimbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Coquimbo is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$6.84 CLP 6,737

80.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$46.62 CLP 45.9K

31.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$6.13 CLP 6,039

26.59%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.48 CLP 3,430

27.59%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.14 CLP 1,125

57.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.00 CLP 984

29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.15 CLP 4,081

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.52 CLP 4,447

-1.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.01 CLP 992

53.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.11 CLP 3,060

-0.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.21 CLP 1,193

109.09%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.62 CLP 2,583

31.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.14 CLP 8,010

-10.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.35 CLP 1,331

69.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.82 CLP 1,796

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$0.99 CLP 977

383.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$0.99 CLP 975

65.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.26 CLP 1,245

197.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.60 CLP 587

81.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.31 CLP 1,292

97.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$5.05 CLP 4,971

1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.21 CLP 8,079

142.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.63 CLP 4,562

-23.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.84 CLP 830

45.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.35 CLP 1,327

14.81%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$102 CLP 100.3K

-6.91%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$12.45 CLP 12.3K

190.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$25.08 CLP 24.7K

194.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$5.01 CLP 4,929

611.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$4.03 CLP 3,965

96.28%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$259 CLP 255.0K

89.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$29.0K CLP 28.5M

-59.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$46.90 CLP 46.2K

16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$25.18 CLP 24.8K

121.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$61.2 CLP 60.2K

31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$81.2 CLP 79.9K

-4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$602 CLP 592.4K

47.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

72.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Coquimbo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Coquimbo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Coquimbo

$154 * 27.8% 56% $196

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Coquimbo

$153 27.7% 27.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Coquimbo

$114 * 20.6% 37.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Coquimbo

$96 17.4% 20.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Coquimbo

$33 6% 63% $56

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Coquimbo

$3.4 * 0.6% 96.2% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 47% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $47.00 in Coquimbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $154 per month, with Coquimbo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇱 Coquimbo

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

13:05 1:05 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

204,068

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Coquimbo 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Coquimbo

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 Coquimbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Coquimbo differ by about 231% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $555 including rent). Coquimbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $259 in Coquimbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Coquimbo – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $555 in Coquimbo versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 231% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.