Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Playa del Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Coco: $1,733 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
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Playa del Coco Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Playa del Coco

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 Playa del Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,733 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Playa del Coco $1,733

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,750 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Playa del Coco $2,750

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,767 in Playa del Coco, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Playa del Coco $3,767

Nosara costs about 6% more than Playa del Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Playa del Coco sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Playa del Coco by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$18.40 ₡8,254

-32.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$58.5 ₡26.3K

4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.68 ₡5,238

-33.56%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.34 ₡1,945

2.30%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.53 ₡1,133

-29.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.62 ₡724

-20.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.57 ₡1,603

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.96 ₡2,673

-25.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.38 ₡1,069

-34.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.83 ₡1,269

8.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.50 ₡1,120

1.20%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.53 ₡1,584

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.85 ₡4,867

-32.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$10.38 ₡4,657

-1.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$14.27 ₡6,399

-1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.05 ₡2,265

-54.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.31 ₡1,482

44.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.51 ₡1,573

-53.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.04 ₡1,361

26.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.06 ₡1,373

22.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.11 ₡499

-1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.70 ₡1,210

-4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$5.69 ₡2,552

-10.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$16.50 ₡7,399

20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.63 ₡1,180

6.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.73 ₡1,223

28.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.29 ₡580

-5.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.38 ₡1,068

-8.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.58 ₡708

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.52 ₡3,822

1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.51 ₡679

2.65%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.4K ₡10.1M

54.04%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$34.3K ₡15.4M

12.98%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$95.2 ₡42.7K

-0.38%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$29.51 ₡13.2K

22.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$60.0 ₡26.9K

-11.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$72.6 ₡32.5K

1.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.74 ₡3,471

2.20%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$850 ₡381.0K

-42.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-30.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-22.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$127 ₡56.9K

-36.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$130 ₡58.1K

-39.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$812 ₡364.0K

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$618 ₡277.4K

27.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,902 ₡853.0K

110.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,247 ₡559.5K

12.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$332 ₡148.9K

272.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$756 ₡339.1K

17.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Coco: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Playa del Coco

$618 35.7% 21.7% $171

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Playa del Coco

$373 21.5% 6.7% $23

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Playa del Coco

$281 16.2% 32% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Playa del Coco

$185 10.7% 0.4% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Playa del Coco

$172 9.9% 42.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Playa del Coco

$88 5.1% 1.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Playa del Coco

$15 * 0.9% 82.6% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $812 in Playa del Coco. 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 17% 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 $59.0 in Playa del Coco. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $373 in Playa del Coco – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Playa del Coco 64 km

From you

Nosara
Playa del Coco

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 Playa del Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,733 in Playa del Coco – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,599 in Playa del Coco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Coco, 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 $59.0 in Playa del Coco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Coco, where all-in costs run around $1,733, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Playa del Coco 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 $1,733 in Playa del Coco to $1,835 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 Playa del Coco. 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.