Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cumbaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $840 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Cumbaya
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Cumbaya Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cumbaya

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cumbaya

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $840 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Cumbaya $840

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,403 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Cumbaya $1,403

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,965 in Cumbaya, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Cumbaya $1,965

Nosara costs about 119% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Cumbaya is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$5.99 $5.99

106.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$54.0 $54.0

13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$7.62 $7.62

-1.31%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$3.41 $3.41

29.33%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.44 $1.44

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.10 $1.10

19.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$3.60 $3.60

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$5.86 $5.86

-23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.15 $1.15

35.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$1.60 $1.60

88.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.50 $1.50

67.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$2.18 $2.18

63.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$6.37 $6.37

16.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$5.58 $5.58

88.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$7.66 $7.66

82.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.23 $2.23

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.19 $1.19

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$1.28 $1.28

275.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.13 $1.13

42.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.25 $1.25

204.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$1.07 $1.07

244.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$0.87 $0.87

29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.03 $1.03

158.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$5.87 $5.87

-11.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$10.13 $10.13

96.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$1.56 $1.56

85.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$3.03 $3.03

19.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.34 $0.34

229.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$20.68 $20.68

251.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$1.51 $1.51

41.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$10.09 $10.09

-15.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$0.88 $0.88

72.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.1K $21.1K

2.25%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.2K $28.2K

22.31%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$28.10 $28.10

242.67%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.60 $17.60

103.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$28.90 $28.90

85.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$26.87 $26.87

166.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.73 $17.73

96.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$6.49 $6.49

21.57%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$227 $227

117.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,876 $8,876

33.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$71.5 $71.5

-24.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$49.06 $49.06

12.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$117 $117

-33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$109 $109

-26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$278 $278

183.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

$190 $190

317.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$736 $736

435.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$357 $357

297.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,240 $1,240

457.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

$867 $867

41.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.12

-14.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cumbaya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cumbaya

$190 22.6% 76.1% $604

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cumbaya

$197 23.5% 44% $155

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cumbaya

$152 18.1% 28.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cumbaya

$75 8.9% 59.8% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cumbaya

$156 18.6% 29.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cumbaya

$40 4.7% 54.4% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cumbaya

$31 3.7% 64.6% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $278 in Cumbaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $54.0 in Cumbaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $197 – making Cumbaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Cumbaya

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

12:53 12:53 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Cumbaya 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cumbaya

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 Cumbaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 119% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,260 in Cumbaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 251% less in Cumbaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $227 in Cumbaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cumbaya, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cumbaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cumbaya costs $840 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Cumbaya. 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.