Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Puerto de la Cruz

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Puerto de la Cruz: $1,839 and $1,912 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Puerto de la Cruz
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Puerto de la Cruz Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Puerto de la Cruz

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Puerto de la Cruz

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 Puerto de la Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Puerto de la Cruz $1,912

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,769 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Puerto de la Cruz $2,769

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,625 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Puerto de la Cruz $3,625

Nosara is about 4% cheaper than Puerto de la Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Puerto de la Cruz sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Puerto de la Cruz by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.53 €12.04

-8.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$61.4 €54.6

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.06 €8.95

-25.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.58 €2.29

70.93%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.90 €1.69

-8.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.53 €1.36

-14.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.86 €2.54

14.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.59 €3.20

24.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.10 €0.98

41.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.62 €1.44

86.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.65 €1.47

52.12%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.70 €3.29

-3.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.22 €10.87

-39.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.00 €8.89

5.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.61 €12.10

2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.55 €2.27

-7.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.06 €1.83

-21.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.48 €1.32

224.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.58 €2.29

-37.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.35 €2.09

61.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.31 €2.05

59.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.02 €1.79

-44.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.81 €0.72

228.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.17 €3.71

24.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.52 €5.80

204.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.37 €1.22

111.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.68 €2.38

35.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$41.93 €37.29

73.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.31 €2.94

-35.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.28 €2.02

-31.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$28.23 €25.11

-69.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.65 €1.47

-7.88%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.1K €31.2K

-38.41%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.4K €25.3K

21.40%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$111 €98.4

-12.96%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.16 €17.04

87.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$28.08 €24.97

90.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.72 €14.87

108.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.15 €8.14

-13.77%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$481 €428

2.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,713 €5,971

76.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$88.7 €78.9

-39.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.90 €33.71

46.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$88.9 €79.1

-12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$120 €107

-33.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,133 €1,008

-30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,049 €933

-24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,891 €1,682

108.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,577 €1,403

-10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,614 €3,215

91.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,478 €3,093

-64.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,345 €1,196

-35.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.15

173.65%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Puerto de la Cruz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Puerto de la Cruz

$1K 54.9% 32.1% $255

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Puerto de la Cruz

$275 14.4% 22% $77

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Puerto de la Cruz

$205 10.7% 3.4% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Puerto de la Cruz

$158 8.3% 15% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Puerto de la Cruz

$151 7.9% 25.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Puerto de la Cruz

$18 * 1% 79% $69

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Puerto de la Cruz

$57 * 3% 35% $31

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 $1,133 in Puerto de la Cruz. 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 56% higher in Puerto de la Cruz, 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 $61.0 in Puerto de la Cruz. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $275 in Puerto de la Cruz – so Puerto de la Cruz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇸 Puerto de la Cruz

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

30,849

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Puerto de la Cruz 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Puerto de la Cruz

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 Puerto de la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,868 in Puerto de la Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 73% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $481 in Puerto de la Cruz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Puerto de la Cruz at $1,912. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto de la Cruz 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Puerto de la Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.