Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Piedras Negras

For one person, living is cheaper in Piedras Negras: $1,137 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Piedras Negras
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Piedras Negras Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Piedras Negras

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Piedras Negras

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,137 in Piedras Negras, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Piedras Negras $1,137

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,838 in Piedras Negras, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Piedras Negras $1,838

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,539 in Piedras Negras, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Piedras Negras $2,539

Nosara costs about 62% more than Piedras Negras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Piedras Negras is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.12 MX$205

11.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$44.57 MX$824

37.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.45 MX$156

-11.01%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.63 MX$67.1

21.49%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.42 MX$26.26

22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.00 MX$18.50

31.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.53 MX$46.72

29.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.05 MX$74.9

10.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.66 MX$30.69

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.53 MX$46.83

19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.71 MX$31.52

46.78%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.45 MX$45.35

45.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.36 MX$155

-11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.11 MX$150

29.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.28 MX$209

23.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.76 MX$51.1

-14.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.59 MX$29.34

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.88 MX$34.68

155.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.82 MX$33.67

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.99 MX$36.84

90.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.80 MX$33.24

105.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.48 MX$27.36

-23.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.08 MX$19.96

146.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.50 MX$83.1

15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.60 MX$196

87.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.81 MX$33.37

60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.12 MX$57.7

16.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.68 MX$12.55

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.66 MX$49.22

-19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.25 MX$41.56

-30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.14 MX$206

-23.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.33 MX$24.65

14.29%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.8K MX$385.2K

3.67%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.0K MX$443.9K

43.68%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$49.75 MX$919

93.55%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.89 MX$423

56.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$29.83 MX$551

79.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$34.41 MX$636

108.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$20.06 MX$371

74.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.31 MX$98.0

48.59%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$221 MX$4,089

123.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,069 MX$75.2K

191.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.1 MX$1,018

-2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.69 MX$752

36.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$100 MX$1,854

-22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$90.7 MX$1,675

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$596 MX$11.0K

32.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$393 MX$7,263

102.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,039 MX$19.2K

279.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$776 MX$14.3K

82.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,876 MX$34.7K

268.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,173 MX$21.7K

4.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,618 MX$29.9K

-46.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.3

-23.72%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Piedras Negras

$393 34.6% 50.5% $401

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Piedras Negras

$263 23.1% 25.3% $89

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Piedras Negras

$188 16.6% 11.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Piedras Negras

$102 9% 44.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Piedras Negras

$129 11.3% 7.5% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Piedras Negras

$45 4% 48.5% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Piedras Negras

$17 * 1.5% 80.9% $70

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $596 in Piedras Negras. 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 87% higher in Piedras Negras, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $45.00 in Piedras Negras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $263 – making Piedras Negras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Piedras Negras

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

23:58 11:58 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

173,959

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Piedras Negras 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Piedras Negras

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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,137 in Piedras Negras – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,706 in Piedras Negras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $45.00 in Piedras Negras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Piedras Negras, where all-in costs run around $1,137, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Piedras Negras 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 $1,137 in Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras. 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.