Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Koura

For one person, living is cheaper in Koura: $1,235 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Koura
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Koura Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Koura

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Koura

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,235 in Koura, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Koura $1,235

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,937 in Koura, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Koura $1,937

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,638 in Koura, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Koura $2,638

Nosara costs about 49% more than Koura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Koura is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

3.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$68.5 LBP 6.1M

-10.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.07 LBP 901.7K

-25.32%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.49 LBP 402.1K

-1.78%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.31 LBP 206.9K

-24.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.91 LBP 81.4K

43.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.10 LBP 456.2K

-35.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.74 LBP 424.0K

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.01 LBP 180.3K

-22.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.85 LBP 76.2K

255.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.35 LBP 210.3K

6.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.65 LBP 326.4K

-2.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.91 LBP 976.2K

-31.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.48 LBP 937.8K

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.72 LBP 1.3M

-5.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.13 LBP 280.0K

-24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.69 LBP 151.7K

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.62 LBP 144.6K

196.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.48 LBP 132.8K

8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.19 LBP 106.8K

219.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.61 LBP 143.8K

129.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.21 LBP 108.1K

-6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.72 LBP 64.6K

269.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.92 LBP 261.6K

77.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.17 LBP 999.9K

77.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.28 LBP 114.8K

126.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.47 LBP 221.0K

46.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.95 LBP 174.5K

-42.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.95 LBP 442.7K

-56.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.28 LBP 203.7K

-31.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$22.62 LBP 2.0M

-62.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.88 LBP 79.0K

72.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

-60.26%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

5.27%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$231 LBP 20.7M

-58.32%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.68 LBP 1.9M

65.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$38.07 LBP 3.4M

40.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$25.26 LBP 2.3M

183.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$9.87 LBP 883.7K

253.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.08 LBP 902.5K

-21.73%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$687 LBP 61.5M

-28.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.5K LBP 942.7M

12.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$68.1 LBP 6.1M

-20.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$48.89 LBP 4.4M

13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$139 LBP 12.5M

-44.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$122 LBP 10.9M

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$252 LBP 22.5M

212.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$201 LBP 18.0M

294.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$443 LBP 39.7M

789.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$354 LBP 31.6M

301.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,134 LBP 101.5M

509.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$838 LBP 75.0M

46.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$606 LBP 54.3M

42.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Koura: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Koura

$201 16.3% 74.7% $593

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Koura

$276 22.3% 21.8% $77

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Koura

$228 18.4% 7.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Koura

$291 23.6% 56.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Koura

$170 13.8% 41.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Koura

$45 3.7% 48% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Koura

$24 * 2% 72.3% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $252 in Koura. 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 42% 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 $69.0 in Koura. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $276 in Koura – so Koura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇧 Koura

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Koura 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Koura

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 Koura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 49% more than Koura, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,853 in Koura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,235 in Koura. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $687 in Koura. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Koura, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Koura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Koura costs $1,235 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Koura. 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.