Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Loja

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $676 in Loja, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Loja $676

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,067 in Loja, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Loja $1,067

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,459 in Loja, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Loja $1,459

Nosara costs about 172% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Loja is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.08 $3.08

300.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$20.71 $20.71

195.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.44 $5.44

38.24%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.22 $2.22

98.65%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.77 $0.77

125.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.45 $0.45

191.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.22 $1.22

168.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.17 $3.17

41.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.99 $0.99

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.51 $1.51

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.32 $1.32

90.15%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.92 $1.92

85.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.79 $5.79

28.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.15 $4.15

153.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.96 $5.96

134.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.69 $1.69

39.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.05 $1.05

53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.18 $1.18

306.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 $1.07

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.06 $1.06

258.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.07 $1.07

244.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.51 $0.51

121.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.13 $1.13

135.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.23 $5.23

-0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.86 $6.86

189.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.52 $1.52

90.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.05 $3.05

19.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.31 $0.31

261.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$30.33 $30.33

139.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.27 $1.27

68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.09 $1.09

44.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.88 $9.88

-13.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.78 $0.78

94.87%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$14.8K $14.8K

45.76%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.7K $28.7K

20.20%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$19.65 $19.65

390.03%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.63 $11.63

208.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.57 $26.57

101.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$30.27 $30.27

136.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.88 $14.88

134.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.46 $7.46

5.76%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$183 $183

169.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,017 $2,017

487.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$52.8 $52.8

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$47.03 $47.03

17.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.1 $79.1

-1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$71.2 $71.2

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$237 $237

232.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$170 $170

366.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$389 $389

912.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$310 $310

357.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$554 $554

1148.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$323 $323

278.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$496 $496

73.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.5

1.41%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Loja

$170 25.2% 78.6% $624

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Loja

$167 24.7% 52.5% $185

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Loja

$85 12.6% 59.9% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Loja

$58 8.6% 68.9% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Loja

$113 16.7% 6.3% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Loja

$45 6.7% 48.3% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Loja

$38 5.7% 56.1% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $237 in Loja. 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 74% 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 $21.00 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $167 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

19:35 7:35 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

180,617

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Loja 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Loja

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $676 in Loja – roughly 172% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,014 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 139% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $183 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $676 in Loja to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Loja. 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.