Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Puerto del Rosario

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto del Rosario: $1,590 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Puerto del Rosario
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,590
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Puerto del Rosario

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,590 in Puerto del Rosario, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Puerto del Rosario $1,590

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,380 in Puerto del Rosario, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Puerto del Rosario $2,380

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,169 in Puerto del Rosario, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Puerto del Rosario $3,169

Nosara costs about 16% more than Puerto del Rosario, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Puerto del Rosario sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Puerto del Rosario by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$13.74 €12.22
-10.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$67.8 €60.3
-9.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$8.99 €8.00
-16.35%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.58 €2.29
70.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.11 €1.88
-17.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.62 €1.44
-19.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$3.18 €2.82
3.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$3.56 €3.17
25.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.14 €1.01
36.84%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.43 €1.27
111.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.58 €1.40
58.86%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$3.44 €3.06
3.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$12.35 €10.99
-39.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$9.11 €8.11
15.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$18.19 €16.18
-23.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.64 €2.35
-10.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$2.49 €2.22
-35.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$2.27 €2.02
111.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.20 €1.95
-26.82%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.79 €1.59
112.29%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$2.31 €2.05
59.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.70 €1.52
-33.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.54 €0.48
392.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$4.40 €3.92
17.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$5.46 €4.85
264.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.11 €0.98
161.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.02 €0.91
255.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.66 €1.48
-32.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$33.03 €29.38
119.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$3.45 €3.07
-37.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$2.27 €2.02
-30.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$28.44 €25.29
-70.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.51 €1.34
0.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$34.6K €30.8K
-37.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$28.8K €25.6K
19.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$115 €102
-16.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$11.98 €10.66
199.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$28.80 €25.62
86.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$45.44 €40.42
57.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$15.58 €13.86
124.07%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$9.23 €8.21
-14.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$481 €428
2.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$6,738 €5,994
75.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$88.2 €78.4
-38.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$37.35 €33.22
48.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$91.1 €81.0
-14.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$123 €109
-35.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$892 €793
-11.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$685 €609
15.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,359 €1,209
189.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$995 €885
42.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$3,299 €2,935
109.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$2,180 €1,940
-43.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Puerto del Rosario
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
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 del Rosario: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Puerto del Rosario
$685 13.8% $109
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Puerto del Rosario
$273 22.5% $79
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Puerto del Rosario
$206 2.9% $6.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Puerto del Rosario
$156 16.1% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Puerto del Rosario
$153 27.1% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Puerto del Rosario
$64 26.9% $23
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Puerto del Rosario
$54 37.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $892 in Puerto del Rosario. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $68.0 in Puerto del Rosario. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $273 in Puerto del Rosario – so Puerto del Rosario wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇪🇸 Puerto del Rosario
🕒 Local time
17:14 5:14 PM
00:14 12:14 AM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
43,390
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Puerto del Rosario 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Puerto del Rosario

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 del Rosario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Puerto del Rosario compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,590 in Puerto del Rosario – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Puerto del Rosario?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,386 in Puerto del Rosario. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Puerto del Rosario?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto del Rosario, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Puerto del Rosario?
Public transport costs about 120% less in Puerto del Rosario. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Puerto del Rosario?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $481 in Puerto del Rosario. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto del Rosario, where all-in costs run around $1,590, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Puerto del Rosario it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Puerto del Rosario?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,590 in Puerto del Rosario to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Puerto del Rosario safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Puerto del Rosario?
If budget matters most, go with Puerto del Rosario. 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.

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