Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Liberia

For one person, living is cheaper in Liberia: $1,621 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Liberia
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Liberia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Liberia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Liberia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,621 in Liberia.

Nosara $1,839
Liberia $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,267 in Liberia.

Nosara $2,828
Liberia $2,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,914 in Liberia.

Nosara $3,818
Liberia $2,914

Living in Nosara is roughly 13% more expensive than in Liberia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Liberia 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.81 ₡4,848

14.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.83 ₡17.0K

61.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.88 ₡4,879

-30.88%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.54 ₡1,588

24.58%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.99 ₡892

-12.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.61 ₡721

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.67 ₡1,196

22.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.39 ₡1,970

1.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.43 ₡1,088

-35.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.13 ₡1,403

-3.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.29 ₡1,028

9.61%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.42 ₡1,532

4.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.88 ₡3,532

-5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.86 ₡3,527

33.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.42 ₡5,569

12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.15 ₡2,311

-54.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.55 ₡696

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.52 ₡1,131

90.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.24 ₡1,452

-50.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.91 ₡1,752

-2.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.61 ₡1,169

41.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.08 ₡483

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.15 ₡964

23.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.94 ₡2,217

4.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.49 ₡6,946

28.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.31 ₡1,034

25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.55 ₡1,593

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.11 ₡499

0.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$54.5 ₡24.5K

33.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.46 ₡1,103

-13.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.56 ₡698

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.64 ₡3,875

-1.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.57 ₡704

-3.18%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.3K ₡10.0M

-3.05%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.0K ₡15.7M

-1.47%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$94.3 ₡42.3K

2.13%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.81 ₡13.8K

16.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.82 ₡17.9K

34.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$49.26 ₡22.1K

45.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$34.92 ₡15.7K

-0.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.54 ₡3,382

4.64%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,002 ₡449.3K

-50.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-30.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.2 ₡29.7K

-18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.81 ₡16.5K

50.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$130 ₡58.3K

-40.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$92.6 ₡41.5K

-14.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$794 ₡356.1K

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$641 ₡287.5K

23.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$926 ₡415.2K

325.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$739 ₡331.2K

92.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$886 ₡397.5K

-2.58%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Liberia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Liberia

$641 39.6% 19.3% $153

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Liberia

$337 20.8% 4.5% $16

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Liberia

$198 12.2% 6.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Liberia

$165 10.2% 11.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Liberia

$147 9% 22% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Liberia

$64 4% 26.3% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Liberia

$69 4.3% 20.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $794 in Liberia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Liberia pays 3% 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 $38.00 in Liberia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $337 per month, with Liberia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Liberia

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

46,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Liberia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Liberia. 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 $794 in Liberia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Liberia – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,621 in Liberia – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,621 in Liberia versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Liberia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Liberia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Liberia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,621 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Liberia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Liberia 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 Liberia 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.