Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ensenada

For one person, living is cheaper in Ensenada: $1,077 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
Learn more

Ensenada Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ensenada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,077 in Ensenada.

Nosara $1,837
Ensenada $1,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,707 in Ensenada.

Nosara $2,775
Ensenada $1,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,336 in Ensenada.

Nosara $3,712
Ensenada $2,336

Living in Nosara is roughly 71% more expensive than in Ensenada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Ensenada is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.98 MX$220

2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$34.40 MX$632

75.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.38 MX$136

2.17%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.06 MX$56.2

40.85%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.18 MX$21.71

45.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.69 MX$12.67

95.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.84 MX$52.1

14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.97 MX$73.0

12.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.76 MX$32.29

-10.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.63 MX$48.30

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.71 MX$31.40

41.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.73 MX$50.0

30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.54 MX$157

-13.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.75 MX$124

54.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.39 MX$191

31.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.17 MX$39.77

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.64 MX$30.08

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.82 MX$33.37

160.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.58 MX$29.05

5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.35 MX$24.73

175.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.84 MX$33.72

94.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.48 MX$27.09

-25.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.04 MX$19.07

145.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.06 MX$74.5

21.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$13.45 MX$247

48.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.81 MX$33.18

54.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.67 MX$49.04

32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.87 MX$15.96

36.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$35.92 MX$659

100.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.97 MX$54.5

-24.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.98 MX$36.37

-21.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$19.57 MX$359

-54.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.37 MX$25.11

14.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$20.0K MX$367.4K

8.94%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.6K MX$451.5K

40.85%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$48.01 MX$882

94.65%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$32.03 MX$588

9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$26.68 MX$490

92.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$30.95 MX$568

130.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$11.17 MX$205

217.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.65 MX$85.3

68.60%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$197 MX$3,615

148.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$4,889 MX$89.8K

142.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$54.2 MX$994

-1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$44.13 MX$810

26.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$103 MX$1,892

-23.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$57.9 MX$1,064

36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$528 MX$9,700

48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$333 MX$6,109

134.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,007 MX$18.5K

283.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$649 MX$11.9K

116.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,345 MX$24.7K

418.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$687 MX$12.6K

74.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$673 MX$12.4K

30.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.3

-23.72%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Ensenada

$333 30.6% 57.3% $447

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Ensenada

$255 23.5% 26.9% $94

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Ensenada

$184 16.9% 12% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Ensenada

$107 9.8% 40.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Ensenada

$117 10.7% 3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ensenada

$40 3.7% 53.8% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ensenada

$52 4.8% 39.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $528 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $34.00 in Ensenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $255 per month, with Ensenada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

21:55 9:55 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

330,652

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ensenada 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ensenada

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 Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Ensenada differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,077 including rent). Ensenada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $786 in Nosara versus $528 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,077 in Ensenada – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ensenada runs roughly 101% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,077 in Ensenada versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ensenada but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ensenada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ensenada are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ensenada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.