Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Medellin $3,199

Nosara costs about 13% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Medellin sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$8.30 COP 26.3K

48.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

30.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-16.02%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.05 COP 9,676

45.57%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.80 COP 5,707

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.38 COP 4,382

-6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-20.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.50 COP 4,760

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.37 COP 7,508

29.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.70 COP 5,377

48.82%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.96 COP 9,379

16.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-28.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.74 COP 30.9K

5.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.90 COP 44.1K

1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-44.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.53 COP 4,839

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.22 COP 7,052

115.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.27 COP 7,194

-27.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.99 COP 6,311

93.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.67 COP 5,285

124.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.18 COP 3,742

-7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.24 COP 3,919

108.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.87 COP 12.3K

32.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.78 COP 43.7K

44.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.66 COP 5,256

68.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.40 COP 7,615

46.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.24 COP 3,944

-1.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-5.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.28 COP 4,044

69.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.15 COP 6,803

-27.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.37 COP 26.5K

3.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.35 COP 4,288

14.81%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-0.62%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

11.72%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$167 COP 528.4K

-43.10%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

165.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

82.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

63.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$17.18 COP 54.5K

107.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$6.97 COP 22.1K

13.49%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$790 COP 2.5M

-37.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

31.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-37.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-3.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$139 COP 440.7K

-42.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$620 COP 2.0M

27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,881 COP 6.0M

112.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

39.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-27.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$663 COP 2.1M

33.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.94

-21.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 21.5% $170

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 14.8% $52

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 19.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 13.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 42.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 34.1% $31

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 7.3% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,028 in Medellin. 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 34% 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 $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Medellin 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Nosara and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Medellin. 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.