Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Porlamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Porlamar: $630 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Porlamar
Learn more

Porlamar Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Porlamar

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Porlamar

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $630 in Porlamar, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Porlamar $630

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,008 in Porlamar, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Porlamar $1,008

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,386 in Porlamar, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Porlamar $1,386

Nosara costs about 192% more than Porlamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Porlamar is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$4.50 VES 3,950

174.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$34.98 VES 30.7K

74.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.06 VES 7,957

-17.00%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.80 VES 1,579

145.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.68 VES 1,477

3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.29 VES 1,129

1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.52 VES 1,338

115.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.07 VES 2,699

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.02 VES 891

52.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.97 VES 853

211.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.01 VES 890

148.51%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.97 VES 1,729

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.08 VES 3,582

82.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.93 VES 4,332

113.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.89 VES 5,167

137.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.94 VES 3,459

-40.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.53 VES 1,341

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.54 VES 1,354

211.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.51 VES 1,329

6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.46 VES 1,284

160.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.02 VES 895

261.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.98 VES 857

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.02 VES 1,777

156.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.89 VES 5,171

237.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.02 VES 1,774

79.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.47 VES 414

138.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$14.81 VES 13.0K

390.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.27 VES 1,113

23.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.52 VES 455

192.31%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.4K VES 17.9M

5.96%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.4K VES 30.2M

0.22%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$11.97 VES 10.5K

704.43%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.55 VES 6,630

375.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.65 VES 19.9K

136.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.68 VES 34.8K

80.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$12.73 VES 11.2K

174.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.55 VES 3,118

122.25%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$29.99 VES 26.3K

1547.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$29.54 VES 25.9K

82.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$45.30 VES 39.8K

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$61.1 VES 53.7K

27.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$74.1 VES 65.1K

7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$199 VES 174.4K

296.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$151 VES 132.2K

427.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$332 VES 291.4K

1086.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$200 VES 175.6K

609.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$399 VES 350.5K

1631.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$152 VES 133.1K

707.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$216 VES 189.4K

300.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-56.90%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Porlamar

$151 23.9% 81% $644

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Porlamar

$163 * 25.9% 53.7% $189

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Porlamar

$110 17.5% 47.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Porlamar

$42 6.7% 77.3% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Porlamar

$95 15% 21.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Porlamar

$47 7.4% 46.5% $41

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Porlamar

$23 * 3.7% 73.6% $64

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 $199 in Porlamar. 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 300% 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 $35.00 in Porlamar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $163 – making Porlamar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇪 Porlamar

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

103,496

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, 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).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Porlamar 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Porlamar

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 Porlamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $630 in Porlamar – roughly 192% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $946 in Porlamar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 390% less in Porlamar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $29.99 in Porlamar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Porlamar, where all-in costs run around $630, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Porlamar 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 $630 in Porlamar 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 Porlamar. 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.