Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Noord

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Noord: $1,837 and $1,877 a month, rent and utilities included.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Noord
🇦🇼 Aruba
$1,877
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Noord

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,877 in Noord, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Noord $1,877

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,082 in Noord, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Noord $3,082

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,288 in Noord, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Noord $4,288

Nosara is about 2% cheaper than Noord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Noord sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Noord by 40%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Noord
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$23.19 AWG 41.52
-47.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$86.9 AWG 155
-30.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
-
-
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
-
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$3.07 AWG 5.49
-43.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$1.98 AWG 3.55
-31.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$8.71 AWG 15.59
-62.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$8.93 AWG 15.99
-49.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Noord
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$1.83 AWG 3.27
-14.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$2.89 AWG 5.18
9.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$2.94 AWG 5.26
-17.69%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$6.56 AWG 11.74
-45.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$12.63 AWG 22.61
-41.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$9.10 AWG 16.29
14.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$12.28 AWG 21.99
11.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$4.75 AWG 8.50
-51.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$2.30 AWG 4.11
-30.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$4.95 AWG 8.87
-4.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$3.47 AWG 6.22
-52.16%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$2.20 AWG 3.94
69.09%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$2.06 AWG 3.69
73.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$2.65 AWG 4.74
-58.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$1.51 AWG 2.71
68.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$10.16 AWG 18.19
-51.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$10.00 AWG 17.90
100.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$5.50 AWG 9.85
-49.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$4.51 AWG 8.07
-21.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Noord
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$2.90 AWG 5.19
-45.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Noord
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Noord
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Noord
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Noord
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Noord
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
$1,484 AWG 2,657
-47.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
$1,188 AWG 2,127
-34.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
$2,840 AWG 5,084
35.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
$2,506 AWG 4,487
-43.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Noord
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
0
-

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Noord: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Noord
–
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Noord
–
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Noord
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Noord
–
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Noord
–
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Noord
–
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Noord
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,484 in Noord. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $87.0 in Noord. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $376 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇦🇼 Noord
🕒 Local time
00:07 12:07 AM
02:07 2:07 AM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
24,193
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.498 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Noord 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Noord

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 Noord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Noord?
Noord costs about 2% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nosara and in Noord?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,815 in Noord. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nosara or Noord?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Nosara compared to Noord?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,877 in Noord. That's a gap of about 2%.
Are groceries more expensive in Nosara or in Noord?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Noord, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Nosara or in Noord?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Noord at $1,877. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noord it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Noord?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $1,877 in Noord. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Nosara compared to Noord?
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.
Should I move to Nosara or to Noord?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Noord makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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