Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Humacao

For one person, living is cheaper in Humacao: $1,561 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara, Costa Rica
Humacao, Puerto Rico
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Humacao
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,561
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Humacao

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $1,561 in Humacao, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,846
  • Humacao $1,561

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $2,539 in Humacao, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,833
  • Humacao $2,539

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $3,516 in Humacao, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,820
  • Humacao $3,516

Nosara costs about 18% more than Humacao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Humacao sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Humacao by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.36 ₡5,575
$11.86 $11.86
4.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 ₡27.4K
$45.86 $45.86
32.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ₡3,557
$9.11 $9.11
-13.50%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₡1,986
$3.70 $3.70
18.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡776
$1.79 $1.79
-3.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₡603
$1.21 $1.21
10.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 ₡1,505
$2.20 $2.20
51.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 ₡2,048
$2.94 $2.94
54.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₡739
$2.22 $2.22
-26.13%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 ₡1,426
$2.83 $2.83
11.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 ₡1,080
$1.60 $1.60
49.38%
Eggs
$3.47 ₡1,564
$7.33 $7.33
-52.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.13 ₡3,217
$12.39 $12.39
-42.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,655
$6.49 $6.49
59.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,302
$13.13 $13.13
6.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,031
$3.03 $3.03
-24.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡731
$2.36 $2.36
-31.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.81 ₡2,169
$3.84 $3.84
25.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₡758
$4.58 $4.58
-63.32%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,765
$3.01 $3.01
29.90%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 ₡1,640
$2.82 $2.82
28.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡509
$3.21 $3.21
-64.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 ₡1,188
$0.89 $0.89
195.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 ₡2,267
$11.30 $11.30
-55.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.71 ₡8,893
$9.99 $9.99
97.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 ₡1,314
$1.25 $1.25
132.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 ₡1,597
$3.27 $3.27
8.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 ₡545
$0.99 $0.99
22.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.15 ₡969
$2.44 $2.44
-11.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡738
$1.49 $1.49
9.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.77 ₡3,958
$42.03 $42.03
-79.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡700
$0.88 $0.88
76.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K ₡15.3M
$20.2K $20.2K
67.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K ₡17.4M
$24.9K $24.9K
54.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₡43.0K
$319 $319
-70.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.29 ₡16.4K
$68.5 $68.5
-47.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 ₡23.5K
$70.1 $70.1
-25.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.6 ₡30.5K
$29.76 $29.76
127.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 ₡3,404
$7.53 $7.53
0.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$496 ₡224.0K
$815 $815
-39.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K ₡5.3M
$10.5K $10.5K
12.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1 ₡24.9K
$56.2 $56.2
-1.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 ₡25.3K
$60.7 $60.7
-7.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 ₡35.1K
$98.9 $98.9
-21.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 ₡35.7K
$80.6 $80.6
-1.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 ₡368.9K
$580 $580
40.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$806 ₡363.6K
$382 $382
110.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,988 ₡1.8M
$1,555 $1,555
156.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₡644.9K
$1,159 $1,159
23.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,068 ₡3.2M
$3,746 $3,746
88.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,197 ₡540.1K
$1,642 $1,642
-27.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Humacao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$888 ₡400.7K
$2,020 $2,020
-56.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.55
31.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Humacao: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$806
Humacao
$382 52.6% $424
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$351
Humacao
$334 4.9% $17
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Humacao
$196 8.3% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Humacao
$458 149% $274
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Humacao
$133 10.6% $13
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Humacao
$14 * 84.5% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$83
Humacao
$45 45.8% $38

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 $580 in Humacao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Humacao are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $46 in Humacao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $334 – making Humacao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇵🇷 Humacao
🕒 Local time
11:36 11:36 AM
13:36 1:36 PM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
14,972
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Humacao 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Humacao

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 Humacao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Humacao cheaper than Nosara?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $2,341 in Humacao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Humacao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $580 there versus $817 in Nosara.
What are total monthly expenses in Nosara and in Humacao?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,846 in Nosara and $1,561 in Humacao. That’s a gap of about 18%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $815 in Humacao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Nosara or in Humacao?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,846 in Nosara and $1,561 in Humacao. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Nosara or in Humacao?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,561 in Humacao to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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