Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Montevideo

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Montevideo: $1,837 and $1,813 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Montevideo

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,813 in Montevideo, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Montevideo $1,813

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,782 in Montevideo, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Montevideo $2,782

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,750 in Montevideo, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Montevideo $3,750

Nosara costs about 1% more than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Montevideo sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Montevideo by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$15.26 UYU 613

-19.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$67.4 UYU 2,707

-10.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$14.37 UYU 577

-47.53%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.64 UYU 186

-7.11%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.73 UYU 110

-37.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.09 UYU 83.9

-35.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.75 UYU 191

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.67 UYU 147

22.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.38 UYU 55.4

13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.77 UYU 111

14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.69 UYU 67.7

43.20%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.52 UYU 182

-21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$14.17 UYU 569

-47.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$12.07 UYU 485

-13.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.16 UYU 488

12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.87 UYU 115

-19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.75 UYU 110

-41.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.73 UYU 69.4

173.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.24 UYU 130

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.07 UYU 83.0

79.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.07 UYU 83.0

72.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-20.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.85 UYU 74.4

37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.57 UYU 224

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.89 UYU 357

125.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.29 UYU 92.1

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.70 UYU 108

30.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.52 UYU 61.2

-21.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$73.7 UYU 2,958

-2.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.82 UYU 73.3

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.40 UYU 16.02

287.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$10.66 UYU 428

-16.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.22 UYU 89.0

-29.28%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-18.48%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-5.73%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$191 UYU 7,662

-51.03%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$20.40 UYU 819

72.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$44.14 UYU 1,772

16.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$54.1 UYU 2,174

31.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$19.68 UYU 790

80.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$12.33 UYU 495

-36.42%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$613 UYU 24.6K

-20.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$11.0K UYU 443.6K

7.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$103 UYU 4,128

-47.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$56.1 UYU 2,251

-0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$124 UYU 4,993

-36.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$130 UYU 5,207

-39.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$705 UYU 28.3K

11.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$575 UYU 23.1K

35.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,139 UYU 45.7K

239.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

38.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,349 UYU 134.4K

108.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,942 UYU 78.0K

-38.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-28.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.74

50.17%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 26.2% $204

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 4.9% $17

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 29.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 41.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 54.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 9.5% $8.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 3.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $705 in Montevideo. 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 40% higher in Montevideo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $67.0 in Montevideo. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $332 in Montevideo – so Montevideo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

18:27 6:27 PM

21:27 9:27 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, 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).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Montevideo 5,880 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Montevideo

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 Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 1%, 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 $2,720 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $613 in Montevideo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montevideo, where all-in costs run around $1,813, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Montevideo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Montevideo – 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 Montevideo. 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.