Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Isla de Margarita

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla de Margarita: $656 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Isla de Margarita

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Isla de Margarita

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 Isla de Margarita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $656 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Isla de Margarita $656

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,223 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Isla de Margarita $1,223

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,790 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Isla de Margarita $1,790

Nosara costs about 180% more than Isla de Margarita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.12 VES 8,883

22.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$80.7 VES 70.8K

-24.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.54 VES 2,229

73.62%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.01 VES 890

72.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.49 VES 1,308

-12.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.02 VES 896

221.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.98 VES 2,614

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.03 VES 1,786

-23.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.92 VES 2,564

3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.98 VES 1,738

26.77%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.33 VES 2,045

53.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.93 VES 6,958

-6.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.93 VES 6,964

32.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.13 VES 7,135

71.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.11 VES 3,608

-42.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.48 VES 1,303

8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.04 VES 1,793

135.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.56 VES 2,249

-37.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.52 VES 1,337

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.85 VES 1,627

99.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.97 VES 852

16.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.03 VES 4,413

295.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.03 VES 904

181.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.53 VES 1,342

137.25%

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

$3.08 VES 2,702

-30.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.96 VES 2,597

-46.96%

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

$30.45 VES 26.7K

216.22%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.02 VES 13.2K

138.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.21 VES 34.4K

36.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$49.52 VES 43.5K

44.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.94 VES 13.1K

133.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.01 VES 4,402

57.49%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$79.8 VES 70.1K

-32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.3 VES 86.3K

-20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$102 VES 89.2K

-21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$294 VES 258.2K

167.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$506 VES 444.1K

678.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$602 VES 528.6K

1047.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Isla de Margarita: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Isla de Margarita

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Isla de Margarita

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Isla de Margarita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Isla de Margarita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Isla de Margarita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Isla de Margarita

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Isla de Margarita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $294 in Isla de Margarita. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $81.0 in Isla de Margarita. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $235 in Isla de Margarita – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

90,387

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, 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).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Isla de Margarita 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Isla de Margarita

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 Isla de Margarita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 180%, 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 $984 in Isla de Margarita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 50% 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 $81.0 in Isla de Margarita. 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 Isla de Margarita, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Isla de Margarita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Isla de Margarita – 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 Isla de Margarita. 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.