Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pasaje

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasaje: $825 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Pasaje
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Pasaje Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pasaje

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pasaje

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $825 in Pasaje, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pasaje $825

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,351 in Pasaje, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pasaje $1,351

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,877 in Pasaje, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pasaje $1,877

Nosara costs about 123% more than Pasaje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pasaje is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.99 $3.99

209.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$52.3 $52.3

16.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.77 $8.77

-14.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.82 $2.82

56.38%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.93 $0.93

87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.75 $0.75

74.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.02 $3.02

8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.23 $4.23

5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.22 $1.22

27.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.98 $1.98

52.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.40 $1.40

79.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.10 $2.10

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.87 $6.87

8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.18 $5.18

103.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.36 $9.36

49.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.52 $1.52

54.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.19 $1.19

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.01 $1.01

375.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.96 $0.96

67.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.27 $1.27

199.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.91 $0.91

305.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.83 $0.83

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.94 $0.94

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.12 $6.12

-15.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.92 $11.92

66.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.49 $1.49

94.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.23 $2.23

62.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.38 $0.38

194.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$16.15 $16.15

349.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.39 $1.39

53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.72 $1.72

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$12.17 $12.17

-29.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.90 $0.90

68.89%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.3K $21.3K

1.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.3K $31.3K

10.24%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$40.37 $40.37

138.52%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$14.73 $14.73

143.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.14 $26.14

105.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.55 $29.55

142.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.84 $14.84

135.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.60 $7.60

3.82%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$374 $374

31.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,765 $5,765

105.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.1 $66.1

-18.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.42 $40.42

37.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$124 $124

-37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$91.9 $91.9

-13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$308 $308

156.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$204 $204

288.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$652 $652

503.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$352 $352

302.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,184 $1,184

483.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$736 $736

66.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pasaje: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pasaje

$204 24.8% 74.3% $590

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pasaje

$200 24.2% 43.2% $152

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pasaje

$122 14.8% 42.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pasaje

$81 9.8% 56.3% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pasaje

$145 17.6% 20.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pasaje

$45 5.4% 48.8% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pasaje

$28 3.4% 68.3% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $308 in Pasaje. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $52.0 in Pasaje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $200 – making Pasaje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Pasaje

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

23:03 11:03 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

44,860

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Pasaje 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pasaje

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 Pasaje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $825 in Pasaje – roughly 123% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,238 in Pasaje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 350% less in Pasaje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $374 in Pasaje. 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 Pasaje, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pasaje 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 $825 in Pasaje 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 Pasaje. 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.