Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ningi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,493 in Ningi, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Ningi
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Ningi Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ningi

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,493

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ningi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,493 in Ningi.

Nosara $1,839
Ningi $2,493

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,673 in Ningi.

Nosara $2,828
Ningi $3,673

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,853 in Ningi.

Nosara $3,818
Ningi $4,853

Living in Nosara costs roughly 26% less than in Ningi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Ningi 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,556

$20.50 A$29.37

-39.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$70.1 A$100

-12.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,383

$6.99 A$10.01

7.58%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,984

$2.59 A$3.71

70.27%

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

$1.74 ₡782

$2.30 A$3.30

-24.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡589

$2.46 A$3.53

-46.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,475

$7.47 A$10.70

-56.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,010

$7.87 A$11.27

-43.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.49 A$2.14

4.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,359

$2.62 A$3.75

15.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,129

$2.39 A$3.42

5.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,608

$4.79 A$6.86

-25.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,344

$8.68 A$12.43

-14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,732

$9.57 A$13.70

9.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,284

$14.68 A$21.03

-4.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,055

$3.95 A$5.66

-40.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$3.17 A$4.54

-49.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,159

$3.42 A$4.90

40.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

$4.18 A$5.99

-61.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,708

$2.52 A$3.62

50.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,662

$2.45 A$3.51

50.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.54 A$3.64

-55.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.55 A$2.22

71.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,328

$44.60 A$63.9

-88.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,944

$14.40 A$20.63

38.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,304

$5.90 A$8.46

-50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,631

$6.78 A$9.71

-46.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡506

$2.58 A$3.69

-56.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$83.2 A$119

-12.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡961

$2.20 A$3.16

-2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡706

$1.64 A$2.34

-4.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,835

$35.63 A$51.0

-76.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡684

$1.35 A$1.93

12.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.0K A$38.6K

-19.87%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.3K A$47.6K

3.80%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$221 A$316

-56.36%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.72 A$44.01

16.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$53.0 A$75.9

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$50.4 A$72.2

42.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.29 A$24.77

101.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,550

$14.11 A$20.21

-44.08%

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

$494 ₡222.3K

$2,119 A$3,035

-76.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.7K A$16.8K

1.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$75.2 A$108

-28.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$53.6 A$76.7

3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.1K

$102 A$146

-23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$120 A$171

-33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.5K

$1,185 A$1,697

-33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡357.3K

$1,186 A$1,699

-33.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,097 A$3,003

87.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡638.4K

$2,003 A$2,869

-29.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,879 A$8,422

17.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.7K

$5,605 A$8,030

-78.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.69

51.49%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ningi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ningi

$1.2K 47.6% 49.3% $392

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ningi

$374 15% 6.2% $22

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ningi

$288 11.6% 36% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ningi

$304 12.2% 63.8% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ningi

$158 6.3% 31.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ningi

$79 3.2% 10% $8.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ningi

$104 4.2% 19.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,185 in Ningi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $70.0 in Ningi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $374 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇺 Ningi

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

07:08 7:08 AM

16 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Ningi 13,600 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ningi

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 Ningi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Ningi differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,493 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $3,739 in Ningi 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 $1,185 in Ningi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $70.0 in Ningi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,493 in Ningi – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,493 in Ningi, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ningi. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Ningi 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Ningi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.