Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Las Muesas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Muesas: $1,327 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Las Muesas
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Las Muesas Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Las Muesas

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Las Muesas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,327 in Las Muesas.

Nosara $1,839
Las Muesas $1,327

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,091 in Las Muesas.

Nosara $2,828
Las Muesas $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,855 in Las Muesas.

Nosara $3,818
Las Muesas $2,855

Living in Nosara is roughly 39% more expensive than in Las Muesas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Las Muesas is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.49 $19.49

-36.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$83.1 $83.1

-26.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.22 $9.22

-18.44%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.67 $3.67

20.16%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.89 $1.89

-7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.45 $1.45

-9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.97 $2.97

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.90 $4.90

-8.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.11 $2.11

-26.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.73 $3.73

-19.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.43 $2.43

3.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.35 $7.35

-51.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.40 $12.40

-40.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.52 $9.52

10.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.39 $13.39

4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.13 $5.13

-54.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.66 $2.66

-39.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.75 $4.75

1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.75 $4.75

-66.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.88 $3.88

-2.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.86 $3.86

-4.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.48 $3.48

-67.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.61 $1.61

65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$12.02 $12.02

-56.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.67 $15.67

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.98 $2.98

-2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.93 $3.93

-7.63%

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

$2.45 $2.45

-12.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.54 $1.54

1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$41.31 $41.31

-79.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.20 $1.20

26.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$40.8K $40.8K

-46.99%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K $27.6K

24.96%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$325 $325

-70.39%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$70.4 $70.4

-48.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$68.6 $68.6

-21.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.35 $10.35

-23.77%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$818 $818

-39.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.6K $12.6K

-5.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.3 $57.3

-5.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$60.6 $60.6

-8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$108 $108

-27.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$113 $113

-29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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

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 11, 2026

Last update for Las Muesas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Las Muesas

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Las Muesas

$414 31.2% 17.4% $61

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Las Muesas

$266 20% 25.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Las Muesas

$464 35% 150% $278

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Las Muesas

$152 11.5% 26.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Las Muesas

$21 * 1.6% 76.3% $67

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Las Muesas

$10 * 0.8% 88.4% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $83.0 in Las Muesas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $414 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Las Muesas

🕒 Local time

16:44 4:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

18,494

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Las Muesas 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Las Muesas

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 Las Muesas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Muesas is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,990 in Las Muesas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,327 in Las Muesas – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,327 in Las Muesas versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Las Muesas but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Las Muesas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Las Muesas is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Las Muesas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Las Muesas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.