Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Curridabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Curridabat: $1,660 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Curridabat
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Curridabat Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Curridabat

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Curridabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $1,660 in Curridabat.

Nosara $1,844
Curridabat $1,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $2,756 in Curridabat.

Nosara $2,817
Curridabat $2,756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $3,852 in Curridabat.

Nosara $3,790
Curridabat $3,852

Living in Nosara is roughly 11% more expensive than in Curridabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Curridabat 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,569

$11.14 ₡5,010

11.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$9.64 ₡4,334

-18.98%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.42 ₡1,987

-1.13%

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

$1.78 ₡801

$2.04 ₡916

-12.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.40 ₡629

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.40 ₡1,528

-0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,940

$2.95 ₡1,326

46.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.34 ₡1,051

-33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$3.07 ₡1,379

3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.51 ₡1,128

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.54 ₡1,591

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,314

$10.83 ₡4,870

-31.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,704

$10.62 ₡4,775

-1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,256

$13.90 ₡6,251

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$4.99 ₡2,246

-54.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.60 ₡719

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$4.69 ₡2,111

0.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.95 ₡1,778

-58.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,747

$3.94 ₡1,771

-1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.76 ₡1,690

0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.11 ₡499

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$3.13 ₡1,410

-16.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$6.02 ₡2,707

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,144

$20.10 ₡9,039

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.87 ₡1,291

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.59 ₡1,612

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.23 ₡554

6.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.25 ₡1,013

-2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.81 ₡812

1.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,514

$7.94 ₡3,569

-1.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.55 ₡699

0.65%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-0.07%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-7.79%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$96.4 ₡43.4K

-0.60%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$35.56 ₡16.0K

-0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-11.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$59.4 ₡26.7K

13.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.56 ₡3,401

2.12%

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

$496 ₡222.9K

$997 ₡448.2K

-50.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$19.2K ₡8.6M

-37.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$73.1 ₡32.9K

-25.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$56.7 ₡25.5K

-2.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$128 ₡57.7K

-37.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$134 ₡60.4K

-41.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$793 ₡356.7K

3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.8K

$590 ₡265.5K

35.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,860 ₡836.6K

109.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.7K

$1,447 ₡650.7K

-3.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.4K

$492 ₡221.1K

78.85%

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Curridabat: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Curridabat

$590 35.6% 26.2% $210

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Curridabat

$402 24.2% 14% $49

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Curridabat

$208 12.5% 2.5% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Curridabat

$193 11.6% 4.2% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Curridabat

$177 10.6% 46.7% $56

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Curridabat

$16 * 1% 82% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Curridabat

$75 4.5% 10.1% $8.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $793 in Curridabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 79% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $56 in Curridabat. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $402, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Curridabat

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

33,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Curridabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curridabat is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $817 in Nosara versus $793 in Curridabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $496 in Nosara versus $997 in Curridabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Curridabat – a meal for two runs $56 versus $61 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Curridabat gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Curridabat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Curridabat wins on affordability, Nosara on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.