Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Puerto Penasco

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Penasco: $1,216 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Penasco
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Puerto Penasco Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Puerto Penasco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Puerto Penasco

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,216 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Puerto Penasco $1,216

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,963 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Puerto Penasco $1,963

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,710 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Puerto Penasco $2,710

Nosara costs about 51% more than Puerto Penasco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Puerto Penasco is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$12.20 MX$224

0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$44.66 MX$820

34.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.56 MX$157

-11.92%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.83 MX$88.7

-10.77%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.40 MX$25.67

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.05 MX$19.32

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.67 MX$49.05

21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.95 MX$72.6

13.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.60 MX$29.32

-1.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.05 MX$55.9

3.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.68 MX$30.92

44.05%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.99 MX$54.8

19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$4.88 MX$89.7

52.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$10.75 MX$197

-3.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$9.68 MX$178

41.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.47 MX$82.1

-48.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.91 MX$35.06

-15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.15 MX$57.8

50.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.11 MX$38.80

-21.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.95 MX$35.88

90.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.02 MX$37.14

76.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.46 MX$26.85

-24.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.59 MX$29.19

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.48 MX$82.2

10.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$13.70 MX$252

46.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.57 MX$28.91

77.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.56 MX$28.67

126.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.64 MX$11.71

85.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.25 MX$41.40

-0.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$3.13 MX$57.5

-50.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$11.22 MX$206

-21.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.38 MX$25.27

13.77%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.3K MX$391.3K

2.31%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.4K MX$448.1K

41.93%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$71.5 MX$1,314

30.63%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$12.60 MX$231

178.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$43.81 MX$804

17.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$33.41 MX$613

113.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$20.26 MX$372

74.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.43 MX$99.6

44.38%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$226 MX$4,143

116.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$4,696 MX$86.2K

152.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$55.9 MX$1,026

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$42.12 MX$773

32.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$100 MX$1,839

-20.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$90.6 MX$1,664

-12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$533 MX$9,787

47.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$387 MX$7,112

101.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$958 MX$17.6K

303.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$764 MX$14.0K

84.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,873 MX$34.4K

272.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,168 MX$21.4K

2.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$596 MX$10.9K

47.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.55

-18.29%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Puerto Penasco

$387 31.9% 50.3% $392

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Puerto Penasco

$293 24.1% 16.2% $57

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Puerto Penasco

$212 17.5% 1.4% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Puerto Penasco

$128 10.5% 28.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Puerto Penasco

$130 10.7% 8% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Puerto Penasco

$44 3.6% 49.2% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Puerto Penasco

$20 * 1.7% 76.5% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $533 in Puerto Penasco. 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 47% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $45.00 in Puerto Penasco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $293 – making Puerto Penasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

22:40 10:40 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

56,756

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Puerto Penasco 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Puerto Penasco

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 Penasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,216 in Puerto Penasco – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,824 in Puerto Penasco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Penasco, 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $45.00 in Puerto Penasco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Penasco, where all-in costs run around $1,216, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Puerto Penasco 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 $1,216 in Puerto Penasco to $1,837 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 Puerto Penasco. 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.