Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Paradise

For one person, living is cheaper in Paradise: $1,624 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Paradise
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Paradise Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Paradise

🇬🇾 Guyana

$1,624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Paradise

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,624 in Paradise, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Paradise $1,624

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,147 in Paradise, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Paradise $2,147

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,670 in Paradise, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Paradise $2,670

Nosara costs about 13% more than Paradise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Paradise sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Paradise by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$9.39 GYD 1,950

30.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$65.7 GYD 13.6K

-8.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.53 GYD 1,772

-11.61%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.40 GYD 913

-2.05%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.16 GYD 241

48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.69 GYD 143

95.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.31 GYD 479

40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.46 GYD 511

82.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.65 GYD 758

-56.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.87 GYD 389

69.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.84 GYD 382

31.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.43 GYD 712

4.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$10.09 GYD 2,095

-26.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.77 GYD 1,198

80.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$9.11 GYD 1,892

49.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.02 GYD 835

-42.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.28 GYD 474

-29.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.28 GYD 475

107.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.48 GYD 515

-33.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.45 GYD 302

156.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.97 GYD 409

81.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.28 GYD 266

-14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.67 GYD 348

52.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.18 GYD 453

127.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.94 GYD 2,272

82.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.57 GYD 327

77.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.38 GYD 494

48.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.59 GYD 122

101.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$29.99 GYD 6,228

140.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.41 GYD 500

-7.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$3.30 GYD 686

-53.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$9.69 GYD 2,012

-8.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.02 GYD 213

53.92%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$15.6K GYD 3.2M

39.50%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$17.8K GYD 3.7M

94.15%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$75.3 GYD 15.6K

24.12%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$27.89 GYD 5,792

25.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$67.9 GYD 14.1K

-24.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$49.69 GYD 10.3K

43.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.09 GYD 1,264

28.74%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$916 GYD 190.3K

-46.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$20.6K GYD 4.3M

-42.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$31.67 GYD 6,577

69.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$47.24 GYD 9,810

18.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$63.4 GYD 13.2K

25.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$63.5 GYD 13.2K

24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$299 GYD 62.1K

162.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$807 GYD 167.7K

-3.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,221 GYD 253.7K

216.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$661 GYD 137.2K

112.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,406 GYD 707.4K

104.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$470 GYD 97.6K

155.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$729 GYD 151.5K

20.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.11

21.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Paradise: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Paradise

$807 49% 3.5% $27

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Paradise

$286 17.4% 18.2% $63

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Paradise

$177 10.8% 15.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Paradise

$171 10.4% 5% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Paradise

$93 5.6% 23.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Paradise

$62 3.8% 29% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Paradise

$51 3.1% 41% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $299 in Paradise. 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 20% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $66.0 in Paradise. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $286 in Paradise – so Paradise wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇾 Paradise

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,050

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Guyanese Dollar GYD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD

1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GYD, 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).

Guyanese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 208 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD). 1 EUR = 233 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.29 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Paradise 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Paradise

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 Paradise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,624 in Paradise – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,436 in Paradise. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 140% less in Paradise. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $916 in Paradise. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Paradise, where all-in costs run around $1,624, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Paradise 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 $1,624 in Paradise to $1,837 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 Paradise. 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.