Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cuenca

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $1,665 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,665

/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 $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,665 in Cuenca, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Cuenca $1,665

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,429 in Cuenca, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Cuenca $2,429

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,194 in Cuenca, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Cuenca $3,194

Nosara costs about 10% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Nosara and Cuenca sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Cuenca by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.02 €15.14

-27.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$44.99 €40.02

35.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.19 €8.17

-18.17%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.04 €1.81

116.18%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.37 €2.11

-26.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.55 €1.38

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.18 €1.94

50.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.41 €3.03

31.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.99 €0.88

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.98 €1.76

52.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.54 €1.37

62.99%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.54 €2.26

40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$16.25 €14.45

-54.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.06 €8.06

16.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$21.09 €18.76

-33.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.62 €2.33

-10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.42 €2.15

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.49 €2.21

92.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.99 €2.66

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.99 €1.77

90.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.23 €1.98

65.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.85 €1.65

-38.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.66 €0.58

303.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.33 €5.63

-18.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.39 €3.90

352.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.98 €0.87

195.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.14 €1.90

69.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.64 €1.46

-31.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$32.14 €28.59

126.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.33 €2.07

-8.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.07 €0.95

46.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$29.90 €26.60

-71.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.80 €1.60

-15.56%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.1K €31.2K

-38.47%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.6K €25.4K

20.65%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$165 €147

-41.80%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.62 €10.34

208.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$21.65 €19.26

147.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$38.83 €34.54

84.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.99 €14.23

118.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.77 €7.80

-10.03%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$341 €304

44.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,017 €7,131

47.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$91.7 €81.5

-41.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$38.71 €34.43

43.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$100 €89.1

-22.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$113 €101

-29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$912 €811

-13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$687 €611

15.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,328 €1,181

196.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,015 €903

39.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,266 €2,905

111.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,234 €1,987

-45.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,425 €1,268

-39.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.46

149.13%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cuenca

$687 41.3% 13.5% $107

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cuenca

$300 18% 15% $53

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cuenca

$222 13.3% 4.6% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cuenca

$199 11.9% 7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cuenca

$155 9.3% 28.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cuenca

$56 3.4% 35.5% $31

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cuenca

$46 2.8% 46.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $912 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 65% higher in Cuenca, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $45.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $300 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

53,512

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cuenca 8,750 km ≈ 11 h 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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,665 in Cuenca – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,497 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.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $341 in Cuenca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $1,665, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,665 in Cuenca to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.