Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $990 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cuenca

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $990 in Cuenca, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Cuenca $990

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,480 in Cuenca, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Cuenca $1,480

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Cuenca $1,969

Nosara costs about 86% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Cuenca is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.48 $3.48

251.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$29.45 $29.45

104.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.85 $7.85

-3.95%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.67 $2.67

61.42%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.78 $0.78

120.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.71 $0.71

90.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.03 $2.03

59.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.27 $3.27

37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.06 $1.06

48.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.13 $2.13

48.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.87 $1.87

29.41%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.19 $2.19

63.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.87 $6.87

8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.13 $6.13

69.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.26 $7.26

88.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.06 $2.06

12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.05 $1.05

53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.36 $1.36

248.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.39 $1.39

19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.47 $1.47

153.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.07 $1.07

233.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.79 $0.79

39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.08 $1.08

136.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.39 $5.39

-8.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.08 $10.08

98.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.53 $1.53

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.94 $2.94

20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.37 $0.37

221.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$15.70 $15.70

359.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.36 $1.36

64.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.08 $1.08

43.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$10.85 $10.85

-18.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.88 $0.88

78.41%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$25.4K $25.4K

-14.01%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$28.8K $28.8K

20.36%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$39.66 $39.66

135.63%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$13.65 $13.65

157.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$26.80 $26.80

92.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$29.54 $29.54

141.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$5.18 $5.18

584.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.24 $7.24

8.29%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$229 $229

114.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,919 $6,919

71.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$66.0 $66.0

-18.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$46.74 $46.74

19.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$124 $124

-35.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$73.0 $73.0

8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$544 $544

44.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$386 $386

101.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$716 $716

438.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$610 $610

130.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,222 $1,222

470.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$835 $835

43.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$562 $562

56.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.16

-22.76%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Cuenca

$386 39.2% 50.5% $394

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Cuenca

$206 20.9% 40.9% $143

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Cuenca

$106 10.8% 49.4% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 55.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Cuenca

$139 14.1% 15.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 49.4% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 72.4% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $544 in Cuenca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 56% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $29.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $206 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

495,776

💱 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 = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Cuenca 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cuenca

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 Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,486 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $29.00 in Cuenca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $990 in Cuenca. That's a gap of about 86%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $990, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuenca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cuenca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.