Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Monteria

For one person, living is cheaper in Monteria: $1,227 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Monteria
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Monteria Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monteria

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Monteria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,227 in Monteria.

Nosara $1,839
Monteria $1,227

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,997 in Monteria.

Nosara $2,828
Monteria $1,997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,767 in Monteria.

Nosara $3,818
Monteria $2,767

Living in Nosara is roughly 50% more expensive than in Monteria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Monteria is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$5.73 COP 18.2K

115.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$41.91 COP 133.3K

45.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$10.31 COP 32.8K

-27.06%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$2.57 COP 8,178

71.60%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$2.57 COP 8,188

-32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$2.27 COP 7,209

-42.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$3.29 COP 10.5K

-0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$5.16 COP 16.4K

-13.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.90 COP 6,052

-17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$2.78 COP 8,857

8.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.43 COP 4,537

75.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$4.83 COP 15.4K

-26.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$7.98 COP 25.4K

-6.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$9.46 COP 30.1K

11.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$13.49 COP 42.9K

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.16 COP 10.1K

-25.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.24 COP 3,951

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$2.07 COP 6,580

131.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.81 COP 5,751

-11.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.68 COP 5,332

126.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$1.58 COP 5,020

133.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$1.22 COP 3,887

-7.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.16 COP 3,698

129.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$4.07 COP 12.9K

27.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$14.66 COP 46.6K

35.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$1.46 COP 4,630

98.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$2.34 COP 7,443

55.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.19 COP 3,777

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$1.57 COP 5,006

36.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$3.68 COP 11.7K

-57.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$9.57 COP 30.4K

-10.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.30 COP 4,132

16.92%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.5K COP 74.8M

-8.15%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.4K COP 109.3M

0.42%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$78.0 COP 248.1K

23.45%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.49 COP 46.1K

147.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$25.19 COP 80.1K

112.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$43.38 COP 138.0K

65.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$8.24 COP 26.2K

-4.25%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$618 COP 2.0M

-20.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,835 COP 18.6M

103.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$75.5 COP 240.1K

-28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$55.4 COP 176.2K

0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$132 COP 420.5K

-41.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$109 COP 345.9K

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$736 COP 2.3M

7.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

$411 COP 1.3M

93.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,022 COP 3.3M

285.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$913 COP 2.9M

55.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,174 COP 6.9M

217.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

$1,691 COP 5.4M

-27.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.53%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monteria: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Monteria

$411 33.5% 48.3% $383

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Monteria

$293 23.8% 17% $60

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monteria

$154 12.5% 27.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Monteria

$118 9.6% 36.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Monteria

$167 13.6% 39.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Monteria

$60 4.9% 31.5% $28

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Monteria

$25 * 2% 71.6% $62

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 $736 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $42.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $293 per month, with Monteria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇴 Monteria

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

04:31 4:31 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

454,032

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Monteria 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Monteria

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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monteria wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monteria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,840 in Monteria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $736 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $618 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Monteria – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,227 in Monteria versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monteria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,227 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monteria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Monteria 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 Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.