Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Puente Alto

For one person, living is cheaper in Puente Alto: $146 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Puente Alto
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Puente Alto Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Puente Alto

🇨🇱 Chile

$146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Puente Alto

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $146 in Puente Alto, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Puente Alto $146

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $248 in Puente Alto, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Puente Alto $248

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $350 in Puente Alto, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Puente Alto $350

Nosara costs about 1158% more than Puente Alto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Puente Alto is 89% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.20 CLP 1,186

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.36 CLP 1,343

84.56%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$6.27 CLP 6,175

-43.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.02 CLP 4,945

109.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.08 CLP 2,045

12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.49 CLP 1,462

8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.99 CLP 976

384.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.49 CLP 2,453

-35.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.10 CLP 3,048

19.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.96 CLP 941

17.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.64 CLP 1,617

62.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.03 CLP 2,986

70.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$1.99 CLP 1,956

898.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.99 CLP 974

192.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.06 CLP 2,026

76.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Puente Alto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Puente Alto

$146 * 100% 58.5% $206

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Puente Alto

- * 0% 100%

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

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇱 Puente Alto

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

568,106

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Puente Alto 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Puente Alto

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 Puente Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $146 in Puente Alto – roughly 1158% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $219 in Puente Alto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $146 in Puente Alto. That's a gap of about 1158%.

Groceries cost about 141% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puente Alto, where all-in costs run around $146, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Puente Alto 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 $146 in Puente Alto 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 Puente Alto. 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.