Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Iquitos

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $663 in Iquitos, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Iquitos $663

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,185 in Iquitos, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Iquitos $1,185

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,707 in Iquitos, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Iquitos $1,707

Nosara costs about 177% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Iquitos is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.31 PEN 14.81

186.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$38.44 PEN 132

59.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.30 PEN 25.06

3.01%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.57 PEN 12.26

23.53%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.85 PEN 2.92

104.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.56 PEN 1.91

133.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.82 PEN 9.69

16.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.41 PEN 25.45

-39.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.76 PEN 6.05

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.30 PEN 7.91

31.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.56 PEN 8.80

39.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.28 PEN 11.26

220.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.89 PEN 3.07

198.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$34.73 PEN 119

177.25%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.34 PEN 38.95

216.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$8.74 PEN 30.03

513.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.05 PEN 99.8

146.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$8.75 PEN 30.06

298.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.64 PEN 19.37

39.89%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,789 PEN 9,576

325.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$87.7 PEN 301

-38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.24 PEN 121

57.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$52.9 PEN 182

47.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$26.21 PEN 90.0

203.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$343 PEN 1,180

129.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$265 PEN 909

199.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$882 PEN 3,029

346.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$712 PEN 2,445

99.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$573 PEN 1,968

50.71%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $343 in Iquitos. 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 51% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $38.00 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $78.0 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

32,853

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Iquitos 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 177%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $994 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 352% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $38.00 in Iquitos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.