For one person, living is cheaper in Homs: $528 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Homs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $528 in Homs.
Nosara $1,839
Homs $528
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $795 in Homs.
Nosara $2,828
Homs $795
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,063 in Homs.
Nosara $3,818
Homs $1,063
🌍
Living in Nosara is roughly 249% more expensive than in Homs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Homs is 61% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Homs
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35₡5,539
$3.03SYP 368
307.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2₡27.4K
$12.16SYP 1,478
403.13%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.52₡3,373
$6.92SYP 840
8.67%
Cappuccino
$4.41₡1,978
$0.62SYP 75.0
611.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74₡780
$2.22SYP 270
-21.62%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31₡587
$0.52SYP 63.1
151.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.28₡1,471
$1.98SYP 240
65.66%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47₡2,004
$4.06SYP 493
10.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Homs
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.56₡701
$0.81SYP 97.9
92.59%
White Bread(500g)
$3.02₡1,355
$0.42SYP 51.0
619.05%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.51₡1,125
$1.50SYP 183
67.33%
Eggs
$3.57₡1,603
$1.57SYP 190
127.39%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.43₡3,333
$3.95SYP 480
88.10%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.52₡4,717
$5.77SYP 701
82.32%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.97₡6,265
$12.15SYP 1,477
14.98%
Apples(1kg)
$2.35₡1,052
$0.60SYP 73.3
291.67%
Banana(1kg)
$1.61₡720
$1.40SYP 171
15.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.80₡2,152
$0.58SYP 70.2
727.59%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.61₡724
$0.33SYP 40.31
387.88%
Potato(1kg)
$3.80₡1,703
$0.55SYP 66.4
590.91%
Onion(1kg)
$3.69₡1,657
$0.79SYP 96.5
367.09%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.13₡507
$0.27SYP 32.61
318.52%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66₡1,191
$0.66SYP 80.1
303.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18₡2,321
$1.48SYP 179
250.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.88₡8,916
$3.77SYP 459
427.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90₡1,300
$0.72SYP 87.6
302.78%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63₡1,626
$2.94SYP 357
23.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Homs
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.12₡504
$0.22SYP 26.46
409.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$72.6₡32.6K
$15.07SYP 1,831
382.02%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.14₡958
$0.97SYP 118
120.62%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.57₡703
$1.52SYP 185
3.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.52₡3,823
$1.98SYP 241
330.30%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.52₡682
$1.22SYP 148
24.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K₡9.7M
$13.2KSYP 1.6M
63.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K₡15.5M
$18.8KSYP 2.3M
83.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Homs
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$96.3₡43.2K
$93.3SYP 11.3K
3.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89₡16.1K
$9.52SYP 1,157
277.00%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6₡24.0K
$45.79SYP 5,564
17.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Homs
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$71.6₡32.1K
$10.04SYP 1,220
613.05%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89₡3,539
$5.41SYP 658
45.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Homs
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$494₡221.6K
$53.8SYP 6,543
817.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.9K₡5.3M
$904SYP 109.8K
1212.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Homs
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9₡24.2K
$5.05SYP 614
968.12%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4₡24.8K
$20.04SYP 2,435
176.50%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.9₡34.9K
$60.9SYP 7,399
27.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6₡35.7K
$30.39SYP 3,693
161.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Homs
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$788₡353.4K
$123SYP 14.9K
541.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$794₡356.2K
$53.5SYP 6,500
1384.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,939₡1.8M
$352SYP 42.8K
1019.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,419₡636.5K
$138SYP 16.7K
929.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,912₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,224₡549.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Homs
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$864₡387.3K
$72.3SYP 8,790
1093.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.62
14.25
-39.51%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026
Last update for Homs: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794 43.2%
Homs
$53 10.1% ↓ 93.3%$741
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352 19.2%
Homs
$146 27.7% ↓ 58.5%$206
🍽Eating Out
Nosara
$212 11.5%
Homs
$81 15.4% ↓ 61.6%$130
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186 10.1%
Homs
$149 28.2% ↓ 20%$37
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120 6.5%
Homs
$52 9.9% ↓ 56.4%$68
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87 4.8%
Homs
$21 4% ↓ 76.1%$67
🚌Getting Around
Nosara
$87 4.7%
Homs
$25 4.7% ↓ 71.9%$63
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$1.4K 37.2%
Homs
$138 13% ↓ 90.3%$1.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$790 20.7%
Homs
$346 32.6% ↓ 56.2%$444
🍽Eating Out
Nosara
$734 19.2%
Homs
$213 20.1% ↓ 70.9%$521
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$222 5.8%
Homs
$158 14.9% ↓ 28.7%$64
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$267 7%
Homs
$116 11% ↓ 56.4%$151
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$210 5.5%
Homs
$42 * 3.9% ↓ 80.1%$168
🚌Getting Around
Nosara
$176 4.6%
Homs
$49 4.7% ↓ 72%$127
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 $788 in Nosara and $123 in Homs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Nosara pays 1094% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $12.00 in Homs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $146 per month, with Homs cheaper across the board.
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 Homs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Homs cheaper than Nosara?
Homs is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 249% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Nosara or Homs?
Average pay runs 1094% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Nosara and Homs?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $123 in Homs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $53.8 in Homs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Nosara and in Homs?
Supermarket bills run roughly 141% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Homs?
At $528 in Homs versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Homs but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Homs the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Nosara or Homs more family-friendly?
For families, Homs is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Homs?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Homs are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Homs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 249% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.