Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $1,934 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $1,934 in Escazu.

Nosara $1,844
Escazu $1,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $2,959 in Escazu.

Nosara $2,817
Escazu $2,959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $3,984 in Escazu.

Nosara $3,790
Escazu $3,984

Living in Nosara costs roughly 5% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,569

$12.06 ₡5,425

2.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$61.8 ₡27.8K

-2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$11.76 ₡5,290

-33.59%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.49 ₡2,021

-2.67%

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

$1.91 ₡860

-29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.35 ₡1,505

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,940

$4.34 ₡1,953

-0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.45 ₡1,101

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$3.09 ₡1,389

2.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.50 ₡1,124

0.40%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.45 ₡1,551

2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,314

$10.68 ₡4,805

-30.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,704

$10.28 ₡4,623

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,256

$14.14 ₡6,360

-1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.16 ₡2,323

-56.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.57 ₡704

-0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$3.23 ₡1,453

45.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.00 ₡1,351

-46.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,747

$3.79 ₡1,702

2.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.73 ₡1,676

1.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$0.99 ₡447

8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$1.68 ₡755

55.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$5.48 ₡2,463

-5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,144

$18.92 ₡8,509

7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$1.68 ₡754

73.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$2.77 ₡1,246

32.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.05 ₡472

24.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.05 ₡922

6.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.86 ₡835

-1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,514

$8.09 ₡3,638

-3.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.48 ₡664

5.41%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$28.0K ₡12.6M

19.55%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$36.6K ₡16.4M

4.08%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$94.5 ₡42.5K

1.40%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$29.94 ₡13.5K

18.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-8.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$105 ₡47.3K

-35.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

$9.81 ₡4,413

261.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.66 ₡3,446

0.78%

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

$496 ₡222.9K

$458 ₡206.1K

8.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-30.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$71.8 ₡32.3K

-23.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$54.9 ₡24.7K

0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$128 ₡57.4K

-37.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$133 ₡59.6K

-41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$866 ₡389.3K

-5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.8K

$848 ₡381.4K

-5.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,929 ₡867.3K

101.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.7K

$1,501 ₡675.0K

-7.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$1,404 ₡631.2K

397.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.7K

$969 ₡436.0K

26.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.4K

$1,792 ₡805.8K

-50.93%

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 Escazu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Escazu

$848 43.9% 6% $48

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Escazu

$363 18.8% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Escazu

$229 11.9% 7.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Escazu

$183 9.5% 1% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Escazu

$174 9% 44.6% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Escazu

$16 * 0.8% 82.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Escazu

$121 6.2% 45.5% $38

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 $866 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $62 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $363 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

11,984

💱 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 Escazu 170 km

From you

Nosara
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Nosara. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $817 in Nosara versus $866 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $496 in Nosara versus $458 in Escazu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara 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 Escazu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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