Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Onesti

For one person, living is cheaper in Onesti: $1,060 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Onesti
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Onesti Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Onesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Onesti

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,060 in Onesti, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Onesti $1,060

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,597 in Onesti, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Onesti $1,597

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,135 in Onesti, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Onesti $2,135

Nosara costs about 73% more than Onesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Onesti is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.61 RON 50.2

16.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$42.76 RON 202

43.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.14 RON 33.78

5.32%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.89 RON 13.67

52.60%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.20 RON 10.41

-20.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.77 RON 8.36

-25.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.21 RON 15.19

2.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.71 RON 17.56

20.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.04 RON 4.92

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.36 RON 6.46

122.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.06 RON 9.73

21.84%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.98 RON 14.10

19.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.23 RON 34.19

2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.50 RON 30.74

61.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.94 RON 47.03

40.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.03 RON 4.89

128.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.45 RON 6.86

11.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.59 RON 7.55

201.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.08 RON 9.85

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.84 RON 3.99

352.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.89 RON 4.22

314.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.16 RON 5.51

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.61 RON 2.90

336.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.40 RON 30.29

-19.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.22 RON 24.69

280.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.37 RON 6.48

111.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.03 RON 9.60

78.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.77 RON 3.64

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$21.59 RON 102

236.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.87 RON 4.12

145.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.80 RON 3.79

96.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.20 RON 38.79

3.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.44 RON 6.82

5.56%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.2K RON 137.9K

-25.87%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.8K RON 131.4K

24.25%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$184 RON 870

-47.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.27 RON 34.40

393.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$8.67 RON 41.02

518.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.79 RON 179

89.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$20.49 RON 96.9

70.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.58 RON 40.59

-8.04%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$420 RON 1,987

17.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,932 RON 32.8K

71.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$38.31 RON 181

40.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$39.59 RON 187

39.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$91.9 RON 435

-15.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$89.9 RON 425

-11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$377 RON 1,784

109.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$282 RON 1,333

181.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$587 RON 2,778

570.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$445 RON 2,106

218.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,876 RON 8,875

268.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,367 RON 6,466

-10.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$618 RON 2,925

39.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.18

20.06%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Onesti: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Onesti

$282 26.6% 64.5% $513

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Onesti

$197 18.5% 44.2% $156

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Onesti

$180 17% 14.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Onesti

$200 18.9% 7.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Onesti

$117 11% 2.7% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Onesti

$55 5.2% 37.1% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Onesti

$30 2.8% 66.1% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $377 in Onesti. 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 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Onesti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $197 – making Onesti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇷🇴 Onesti

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

00:33 12:33 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

57,333

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Onesti 10,870 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Onesti

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 Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,060 in Onesti – roughly 73% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,590 in Onesti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 236% less in Onesti. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $420 in Onesti. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Onesti, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Onesti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,060 in Onesti to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Onesti. 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.