Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Guadalupe, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalupe: $1,601 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Guadalupe
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Guadalupe Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Guadalupe

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Guadalupe

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

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $1,601 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
Guadalupe $1,601

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $2,490 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
Guadalupe $2,490

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $3,379 in Guadalupe, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
Guadalupe $3,379

Nosara costs about 15% more than Guadalupe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Guadalupe sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Guadalupe by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,569

$11.11 ₡4,996

11.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$32.87 ₡14.8K

84.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$8.77 ₡3,942

-10.95%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$3.25 ₡1,460

34.46%

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

$1.78 ₡801

$2.15 ₡966

-17.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.86 ₡837

-27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.36 ₡1,513

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,940

$4.41 ₡1,983

-2.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.16 ₡973

-28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$3.19 ₡1,436

-0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.44 ₡1,098

2.87%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.48 ₡1,566

1.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,314

$9.60 ₡4,319

-23.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,704

$9.95 ₡4,472

5.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,256

$13.84 ₡6,223

0.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.11 ₡2,299

-55.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.63 ₡734

-4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$4.71 ₡2,118

-0.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.77 ₡1,695

-57.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,747

$3.91 ₡1,759

-0.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.71 ₡1,666

2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.11 ₡499

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$3.09 ₡1,392

-15.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$4.46 ₡2,004

15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,144

$20.12 ₡9,047

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.76 ₡1,241

5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.58 ₡1,611

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.35 ₡606

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.06 ₡926

6.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.60 ₡721

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,514

$8.94 ₡4,019

-12.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.42 ₡637

9.86%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$25.9K ₡11.6M

29.26%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$41.5K ₡18.7M

-8.22%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$35.93 ₡16.2K

166.77%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$26.33 ₡11.8K

34.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$54.3 ₡24.4K

-1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$66.9 ₡30.1K

0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.80 ₡3,510

-1.03%

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

$496 ₡222.9K

$990 ₡445.0K

-49.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-29.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$70.3 ₡31.6K

-22.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$43.98 ₡19.8K

25.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$131 ₡59.0K

-39.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$98.4 ₡44.3K

-20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$819 ₡368.4K

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.8K

$644 ₡289.4K

24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,873 ₡842.4K

107.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.7K

$1,253 ₡563.6K

11.36%

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

$1,232 ₡553.9K

-28.62%

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 Guadalupe: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Guadalupe

$644 40.2% 19.6% $157

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Guadalupe

$392 24.5% 11.3% $40

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Guadalupe

$196 12.2% 8.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Guadalupe

$117 7.3% 37% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Guadalupe

$155 9.7% 28.6% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Guadalupe

$15 * 1% 82.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Guadalupe

$83 5.2% 0.4% $0.4

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 $819 in Guadalupe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Guadalupe, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $33 in Guadalupe. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Nosara vs $392 in Guadalupe – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Guadalupe

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

23,000

💱 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 Guadalupe 180 km

From you

Nosara
Guadalupe

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 Guadalupe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $1,601 in Guadalupe – Guadalupe comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $2,401 in Guadalupe. 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 $819 in Guadalupe. 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 $33 in Guadalupe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% 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 $1,601 in Guadalupe, 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 $1,601 in Guadalupe 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.