Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Desamparados

For one person, living is cheaper in Desamparados: $1,692 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Desamparados

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

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $1,692 in Desamparados, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
Desamparados $1,692

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $2,664 in Desamparados, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
Desamparados $2,664

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $3,636 in Desamparados, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
Desamparados $3,636

Nosara costs about 9% more than Desamparados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Desamparados sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Desamparados by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,569

$12.32 ₡5,539

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$58.8 ₡26.4K

3.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$11.56 ₡5,201

-32.44%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.30 ₡1,936

1.63%

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

$1.78 ₡801

$2.66 ₡1,195

-33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.92 ₡863

-29.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.22 ₡1,450

5.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,940

$4.35 ₡1,954

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.35 ₡1,055

-34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$2.77 ₡1,243

14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.50 ₡1,124

0.40%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.57 ₡1,604

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,314

$10.86 ₡4,886

-32.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,704

$10.28 ₡4,624

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,256

$14.19 ₡6,383

-1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.22 ₡2,348

-56.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.59 ₡716

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$3.27 ₡1,473

43.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.44 ₡1,549

-52.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,747

$3.10 ₡1,395

25.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.23 ₡1,452

17.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.05 ₡470

1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$2.71 ₡1,220

-3.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$5.57 ₡2,505

-7.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,144

$16.73 ₡7,526

21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.60 ₡1,169

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$2.74 ₡1,233

33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.30 ₡586

0.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.50 ₡1,123

-12.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.54 ₡694

19.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,514

$8.71 ₡3,917

-10.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.52 ₡682

2.63%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$33.7K ₡15.1M

-0.79%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$42.4K ₡19.1M

-10.29%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$93.1 ₡41.8K

3.01%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$29.52 ₡13.3K

19.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$58.9 ₡26.5K

-8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$69.0 ₡31.0K

-2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.49 ₡3,368

3.07%

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

$496 ₡222.9K

$845 ₡380.0K

-41.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-30.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$72.0 ₡32.4K

-24.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-0.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$127 ₡57.1K

-37.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$134 ₡60.1K

-41.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$800 ₡359.7K

2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.8K

$636 ₡286.1K

25.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,877 ₡844.1K

107.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.7K

$1,240 ₡557.6K

12.57%

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

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 Desamparados: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Desamparados

$636 37.6% 20.5% $164

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Desamparados

$372 22% 5.6% $20

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Desamparados

$228 13.5% 7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Desamparados

$181 10.7% 1.9% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Desamparados

$175 10.3% 45.2% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Desamparados

$15 * 0.9% 82.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Desamparados

$84 5% 1.3% $1.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $800 in Desamparados. 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 in Nosara versus $59 in Desamparados. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Nosara vs $372 in Desamparados – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

38,000

💱 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

On the map

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Nosara Desamparados 170 km

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Nosara
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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 Desamparados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $1,692 in Desamparados – Desamparados comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $2,538 in Desamparados. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $817 in Nosara and $800 in Desamparados. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $59 in Desamparados. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,844 in Nosara and $1,692 in Desamparados, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Desamparados to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.