Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanacaste: $1,534 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
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Guanacaste Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Guanacaste

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $1,534 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Nosara $1,846
Guanacaste $1,534

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $2,421 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Nosara $2,833
Guanacaste $2,421

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $3,307 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Nosara $3,820
Guanacaste $3,307

Nosara costs about 20% more than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Guanacaste sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Guanacaste by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,575

$10.77 ₡4,860

14.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$47.69 ₡21.5K

27.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

$11.68 ₡5,270

-32.53%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

$4.44 ₡2,003

-0.90%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$2.70 ₡1,220

-36.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$1.93 ₡871

-30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

$3.10 ₡1,398

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

$4.47 ₡2,019

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$2.04 ₡921

-19.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,426

$3.19 ₡1,439

-0.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$2.42 ₡1,091

-1.24%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.59 ₡1,618

-3.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

$5.63 ₡2,542

26.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

$4.30 ₡1,942

140.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

$11.09 ₡5,005

25.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

$2.68 ₡1,210

-14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.57 ₡708

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

$4.40 ₡1,988

9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$1.53 ₡689

9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

$3.86 ₡1,744

1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

$2.25 ₡1,017

61.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$0.90 ₡406

25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$3.07 ₡1,385

-14.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

$4.34 ₡1,958

15.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

$20.25 ₡9,140

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

$2.80 ₡1,261

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

$2.66 ₡1,202

33.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$1.29 ₡584

-6.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

$2.50 ₡1,128

-14.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$1.57 ₡706

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

$8.85 ₡3,996

-0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.57 ₡709

-1.27%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$33.7K ₡15.2M

0.53%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-6.74%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$93.5 ₡42.2K

1.81%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$36.18 ₡16.3K

0.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$32.69 ₡14.7K

59.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

1.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

$7.85 ₡3,542

-3.95%

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

$496 ₡224.0K

$968 ₡436.8K

-48.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$17.5K ₡7.9M

-32.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$66.5 ₡30.0K

-17.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$44.53 ₡20.1K

25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$86.6 ₡39.1K

-10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$78.2 ₡35.3K

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.9K

$795 ₡358.9K

2.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.6K

$620 ₡279.6K

30.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$1,899 ₡856.7K

110.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡644.9K

$1,279 ₡577.2K

11.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Guanacaste

$620 40.4% 23.1% $186

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Guanacaste

$312 20.4% 11% $39

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Guanacaste

$217 14.2% 2% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Guanacaste

$162 10.6% 11.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Guanacaste

$124 8.1% 2.9% $3.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Guanacaste

$16 * 1% 82.6% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Guanacaste

$82 5.4% 0.6% $0.5

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 $795 in Guanacaste. 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 $48 in Guanacaste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $312 – making Guanacaste the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,823

💱 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 Guanacaste 29 km

From you

Nosara
Guanacaste

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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $2,301 in Guanacaste. 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 $795 in Guanacaste. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,846 in Nosara and $1,534 in Guanacaste. That’s a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $968 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,846 in Nosara and $1,534 in Guanacaste. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guanacaste costs $1,534 versus $1,846 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.