Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Erdenet

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $377 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Erdenet
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Erdenet Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Erdenet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $377 in Erdenet.

Nosara $1,837
Erdenet $377

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $617 in Erdenet.

Nosara $2,775
Erdenet $617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $858 in Erdenet.

Nosara $3,712
Erdenet $858

Living in Nosara is roughly 387% more expensive than in Erdenet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Erdenet is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

199.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$27.28 MNT 98.0K

120.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

84.80%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.29 MNT 8,214

88.21%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.66 MNT 2,373

160.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.40 MNT 1,454

237.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.70 MNT 6,100

90.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.63 MNT 5,840

174.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.01 MNT 3,627

55.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.91 MNT 3,281

248.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.85 MNT 10.3K

-15.09%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.02 MNT 7,270

76.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.05 MNT 25.3K

5.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.78 MNT 24.4K

53.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$4.54 MNT 16.3K

200.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.24 MNT 8,038

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.68 MNT 6,054

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.63 MNT 5,857

190.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.37 MNT 4,925

21.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.43 MNT 5,136

160.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.85 MNT 3,040

320.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.41 MNT 5,071

-21.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.98 MNT 3,539

160.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

74.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.67 MNT 20.4K

252.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.62 MNT 5,830

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.65 MNT 5,938

113.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.15 MNT 549

693.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$19.59 MNT 70.4K

267.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.61 MNT 2,209

267.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.43 MNT 1,546

260.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.75 MNT 2,689

109.33%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$57.7 MNT 207.4K

61.87%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$2.86 MNT 10.3K

1127.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$14.06 MNT 50.5K

266.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$281 MNT 1.0M

74.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,474 MNT 8.9M

380.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$218 MNT 782.9K

302.18%

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: October 5, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Erdenet

$188 50.3% 46.1% $161

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Erdenet

$88 23.6% 57.8% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Erdenet

$75 20% 58.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Erdenet

$23 6.1% 73.6% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 302% 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 $27.00 in Erdenet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $188 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

14:34 2:34 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

86,866

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, 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).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Erdenet 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Erdenet

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 Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Erdenet differ by about 387% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $377 including rent). Erdenet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 302% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $281 in Erdenet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $377 in Erdenet versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Erdenet but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Erdenet 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 Erdenet 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 Erdenet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 387% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.