Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Jarabacoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Jarabacoa: $696 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Jarabacoa
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Jarabacoa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Jarabacoa

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Jarabacoa

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $696 in Jarabacoa, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Jarabacoa $696

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,148 in Jarabacoa, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Jarabacoa $1,148

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,600 in Jarabacoa, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Jarabacoa $1,600

Nosara costs about 164% more than Jarabacoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Jarabacoa is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$9.68 DOP 591

27.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$49.28 DOP 3,010

24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$7.51 DOP 459

0.13%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$2.24 DOP 137

96.87%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.05 DOP 64.2

65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.55 DOP 33.87

138.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$2.50 DOP 153

31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$3.22 DOP 197

38.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.35 DOP 82.2

15.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$1.48 DOP 90.4

104.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.62 DOP 98.9

54.94%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$2.39 DOP 146

49.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$7.07 DOP 432

5.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$5.64 DOP 345

86.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$6.68 DOP 408

109.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.21 DOP 196

-26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$0.77 DOP 47.00

109.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$2.74 DOP 167

75.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.77 DOP 108

-9.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$2.02 DOP 124

88.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$2.25 DOP 137

64.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$0.99 DOP 60.7

14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.93 DOP 57.0

186.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$5.18 DOP 316

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$10.28 DOP 628

93.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$2.51 DOP 153

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$2.91 DOP 178

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$3.21 DOP 196

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$2.26 DOP 138

-30.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$5.82 DOP 356

46.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.42 DOP 86.9

7.04%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.2K DOP 1.4M

-6.84%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.6K DOP 2.1M

2.76%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$91.9 DOP 5,614

4.75%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.89 DOP 1,886

16.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$36.01 DOP 2,199

48.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$7.52 DOP 459

4.92%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$251 DOP 15.3K

96.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,351 DOP 448.9K

61.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$46.18 DOP 2,820

16.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$47.17 DOP 2,880

17.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$84.9 DOP 5,187

-8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$124 DOP 7,592

-35.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.56

-36.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jarabacoa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Jarabacoa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Jarabacoa

$219 31.5% 37.9% $133

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Jarabacoa

$152 21.9% 28.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Jarabacoa

$159 22.8% 14.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Jarabacoa

$136 19.6% 13.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Jarabacoa

$15 * 2.2% 82.8% $72

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Jarabacoa

$14 * 2.1% 83.4% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $49.00 in Jarabacoa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $219 – making Jarabacoa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇩🇴 Jarabacoa

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

69,855

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100 DOP = 1.64 USD

100 DOP = 1.46 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 61.07 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.39 DOP (100 DOP = 1.46 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Jarabacoa 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Jarabacoa

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 Jarabacoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 164%, 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 $1,043 in Jarabacoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $696 in Jarabacoa. That's a gap of about 164%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $251 in Jarabacoa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jarabacoa, where all-in costs run around $696, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Jarabacoa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jarabacoa – 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 Jarabacoa. 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.