Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Manati

For one person, living is cheaper in Manati: $1,212 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Manati
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Manati Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Manati

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Manati

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,212 in Manati, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Manati $1,212

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,853 in Manati, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Manati $1,853

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,494 in Manati, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Manati $2,494

Nosara costs about 52% more than Manati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Manati is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.84 $9.84

25.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$59.1 $59.1

3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.91 $7.91

-4.93%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.06 $2.06

114.08%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.98 $0.98

77.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.98 $0.98

33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.46 $1.46

124.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.09 $3.09

44.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.21 $2.21

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.54 $3.54

-14.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.40 $2.40

4.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.40 $7.40

-51.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.56 $12.56

-40.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.85 $9.85

6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.23 $13.23

5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.02 $5.02

-53.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.55 $2.55

-36.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.78 $4.78

0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.80 $4.80

-66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.75 $3.75

1.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.99 $3.99

-7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.35 $3.35

-66.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.59 $1.59

67.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.94 $11.94

-56.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.91 $15.91

24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.07 $3.07

-5.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.96 $3.96

-8.33%

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

$2.55 $2.55

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$41.84 $41.84

-79.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.22 $1.22

24.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$39.9K $39.9K

-45.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K $27.6K

25.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$324 $324

-70.26%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$69.3 $69.3

-48.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$70.0 $70.0

-23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.64 $10.64

-25.85%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$825 $825

-40.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.7K $12.7K

-6.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$56.9 $56.9

-5.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$61.9 $61.9

-10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$111 $111

-29.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$116 $116

-31.22%

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 Manati: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Manati

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Manati

$414 34.1% 17.4% $61

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Manati

$149 12.3% 29.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Manati

$463 38.2% 149% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Manati

$155 12.8% 29.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Manati

$21 * 1.8% 75.7% $66

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Manati

$9.9 * 0.8% 88.7% $77

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 $59.0 in Manati. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $414 in Manati – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Manati

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

14:52 2:52 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,974

💱 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 = 0.889 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 = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Manati 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Manati

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 Manati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 52% more than Manati, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,818 in Manati. 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 $1,212 in Manati. That's a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $825 in Manati. 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 Manati, where all-in costs run around $1,212, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Manati it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manati costs $1,212 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 Manati. 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.