Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Las Terrenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Terrenas: $873 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Las Terrenas
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Las Terrenas Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Las Terrenas

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $873 in Las Terrenas.

Nosara $1,839
Las Terrenas $873

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,843 in Las Terrenas.

Nosara $2,828
Las Terrenas $1,843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,813 in Las Terrenas.

Nosara $3,818
Las Terrenas $2,813

Living in Nosara is roughly 111% more expensive than in Las Terrenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Las Terrenas is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.27 DOP 506

49.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$41.34 DOP 2,532

47.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.09 DOP 312

47.74%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.02 DOP 62.7

332.35%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.67 DOP 40.74

159.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.40 DOP 24.74

227.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.52 DOP 154

30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.86 DOP 237

15.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.99 DOP 60.5

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.13 DOP 69.1

167.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.07 DOP 65.7

134.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.19 DOP 72.7

200.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.09 DOP 373

22.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.50 DOP 215

200.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.66 DOP 286

199.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.25 DOP 138

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.63 DOP 38.64

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.17 DOP 133

121.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.23 DOP 137

-27.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.18 DOP 134

74.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.07 DOP 65.4

244.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.94 DOP 57.3

20.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.98 DOP 59.9

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.71 DOP 289

9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.04 DOP 431

182.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.35 DOP 144

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.96 DOP 120

85.20%

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

$2.51 DOP 154

-14.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.27 DOP 200

-51.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.14 DOP 70.0

33.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$19.7K DOP 1.2M

9.71%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.2K DOP 1.5M

42.43%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$50.4 DOP 3,084

91.24%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.94 DOP 609

261.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.91 DOP 1,220

169.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.00 DOP 306

57.80%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$100 DOP 6,143

392.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,338 DOP 327.0K

122.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$27.30 DOP 1,672

97.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.76 DOP 2,742

23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$62.9 DOP 3,856

23.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$66.6 DOP 4,079

19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$770 DOP 47.2K

2.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$386 DOP 23.7K

105.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,654 DOP 101.3K

138.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,641 DOP 100.5K

-13.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,789 DOP 109.6K

286.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$408 DOP 25.0K

111.86%

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 Las Terrenas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Las Terrenas

$386 44.3% 51.4% $408

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Las Terrenas

$169 19.3% 52.1% $184

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Las Terrenas

$118 13.6% 44.2% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Las Terrenas

$80 9.2% 56.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Las Terrenas

$91 10.4% 24.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Las Terrenas

$10 * 1.1% 88.6% $77

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Las Terrenas

$19 * 2.2% 78.4% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $770 in Las Terrenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 112% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $41.00 in Las Terrenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $169 per month, with Las Terrenas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇩🇴 Las Terrenas

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,713

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Las Terrenas 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Las Terrenas

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 Terrenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Terrenas wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Terrenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 112% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $770 in Las Terrenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $100 in Las Terrenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Las Terrenas – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $873 in Las Terrenas versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Las Terrenas but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Las Terrenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Las Terrenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $873 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Las Terrenas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Las Terrenas 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 Terrenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.