Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mendoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendoza: $1,361 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Mendoza
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Mendoza Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mendoza

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mendoza

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,361 in Mendoza, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Mendoza $1,361

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,195 in Mendoza, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Mendoza $2,195

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,029 in Mendoza, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Mendoza $3,029

Nosara costs about 35% more than Mendoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Mendoza sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Mendoza by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.87 ARS 16.5K

12.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$50.0 ARS 75.9K

20.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$14.90 ARS 22.6K

-49.40%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.55 ARS 6,898

-5.27%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.42 ARS 3,668

-28.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.89 ARS 2,858

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.05 ARS 6,135

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.60 ARS 6,971

-2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.34 ARS 2,033

17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.27 ARS 3,437

39.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.67 ARS 4,051

-9.36%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.19 ARS 4,843

11.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$14.61 ARS 22.2K

-49.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.30 ARS 9,556

65.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.95 ARS 16.6K

24.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.32 ARS 3,512

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.14 ARS 3,244

-24.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.34 ARS 2,038

253.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.19 ARS 4,840

-47.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.03 ARS 3,077

83.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.50 ARS 2,277

138.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.94 ARS 2,945

-43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.51 ARS 3,806

1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.80 ARS 4,244

76.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.03 ARS 7,625

297.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.79 ARS 2,711

55.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.93 ARS 4,445

20.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.97 ARS 1,472

22.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$19.83 ARS 30.1K

263.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.05 ARS 3,112

9.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.02 ARS 1,541

51.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$5.04 ARS 7,642

75.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.21 ARS 1,831

29.75%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$26.7K ARS 40.4M

-18.22%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.2K ARS 50.4M

4.23%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$143 ARS 217.2K

-34.79%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$17.59 ARS 26.7K

99.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$24.39 ARS 37.0K

111.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$31.80 ARS 48.2K

124.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.99 ARS 27.3K

97.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.16 ARS 10.9K

9.50%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$173 ARS 262.6K

182.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$4,150 ARS 6.3M

186.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$127 ARS 192.9K

-57.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$140 ARS 211.7K

-60.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$146 ARS 220.8K

-45.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$161 ARS 244.7K

-51.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$561 ARS 850.3K

40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$340 ARS 515.7K

129.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$975 ARS 1.5M

296.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$682 ARS 1.0M

106.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,699 ARS 2.6M

310.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,115 ARS 1.7M

7.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$768 ARS 1.2M

14.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-85.39%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mendoza

$340 24.7% 56.4% $440

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mendoza

$285 20.7% 18.4% $64

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mendoza

$233 16.9% 11.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mendoza

$185 13.4% 2.9% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mendoza

$258 18.7% 115% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mendoza

$46 3.3% 47% $41

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mendoza

$31 2.2% 64.5% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $561 in Mendoza. 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 14% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $50.0 in Mendoza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $285 – making Mendoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇷 Mendoza

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

04:18 4:18 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

937,154

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mendoza 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mendoza

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 Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,042 in Mendoza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 263% less in Mendoza. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $173 in Mendoza. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mendoza, where all-in costs run around $1,361, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mendoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mendoza – 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 Mendoza. 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.