For one person, living is cheaper in Quba: $558 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Quba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $558 in Quba, rent included.
Nosara $1,839
Quba $558
A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $889 in Quba, rent included.
Nosara $2,828
Quba $889
A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,221 in Quba, rent included.
Nosara $3,818
Quba $1,221
😐
Nosara costs about 230% more than Quba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Quba is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Quba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35₡5,539
$8.19₼13.91
50.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2₡27.4K
$29.06₼49.40
110.53%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.52₡3,373
$6.04₼10.26
24.50%
Cappuccino
$4.41₡1,978
$1.19₼2.03
270.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74₡780
$0.48₼0.82
262.50%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31₡587
$0.30₼0.51
336.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.28₡1,471
$1.15₼1.96
185.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47₡2,004
$2.37₼4.03
88.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Quba
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.56₡701
$1.30₼2.20
20.00%
White Bread(500g)
$3.02₡1,355
$0.33₼0.56
815.15%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.51₡1,125
$1.21₼2.06
107.44%
Eggs
$3.57₡1,603
$1.12₼1.90
218.75%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.43₡3,333
$1.73₼2.94
329.48%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.52₡4,717
$2.99₼5.08
251.84%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.97₡6,265
$8.88₼15.08
57.32%
Apples(1kg)
$2.35₡1,052
$0.68₼1.16
245.59%
Banana(1kg)
$1.61₡720
$1.26₼2.14
27.78%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.80₡2,152
$1.37₼2.33
250.36%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.61₡724
$1.06₼1.80
51.89%
Potato(1kg)
$3.80₡1,703
$0.60₼1.01
533.33%
Onion(1kg)
$3.69₡1,657
$0.48₼0.81
668.75%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.13₡507
$0.46₼0.79
145.65%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66₡1,191
$0.56₼0.95
375.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18₡2,321
$3.58₼6.09
44.69%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.88₡8,916
$5.15₼8.75
286.02%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90₡1,300
$0.85₼1.44
241.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63₡1,626
$1.96₼3.32
85.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Quba
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.12₡504
$0.25₼0.42
348.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$72.6₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.14₡958
$1.20₼2.03
78.33%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.57₡703
$0.30₼0.52
423.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.52₡3,823
$2.85₼4.85
198.95%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.52₡682
$0.68₼1.16
123.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K₡9.7M
$26.4K₼44.8K
-18.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K₡15.5M
$26.1K₼44.4K
32.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Quba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$96.3₡43.2K
$33.13₼56.3
190.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89₡16.1K
$12.63₼21.47
184.16%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6₡24.0K
$14.91₼25.33
259.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Quba
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$71.6₡32.1K
$38.90₼66.1
84.04%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89₡3,539
$4.18₼7.10
88.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Quba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$494₡221.6K
$279₼474
77.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.9K₡5.3M
$16.5K₼28.0K
-28.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Quba
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9₡24.2K
$17.43₼29.63
209.47%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4₡24.8K
$29.03₼49.33
90.87%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.9₡34.9K
$127₼217
-38.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6₡35.7K
$35.73₼60.7
122.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Quba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$788₡353.4K
$174₼295
353.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$794₡356.2K
$116₼198
583.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,939₡1.8M
$267₼453
1377.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,419₡636.5K
$173₼294
719.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,912₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,224₡549.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Quba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$864₡387.3K
$206₼350
319.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.62
20
-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 Quba: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794 43.2%
Quba
$116 20.9% ↓ 85.4%$678
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352 19.2%
Quba
$124 22.2% ↓ 64.9%$228
🍽Eating Out
Nosara
$212 11.5%
Quba
$112 20% ↓ 47.3%$100
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186 10.1%
Quba
$61 10.9% ↓ 67.3%$125
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120 6.5%
Quba
$94 16.9% ↓ 21.4%$26
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87 4.8%
Quba
$47 8.5% ↓ 45.9%$40
🚌Getting Around
Nosara
$87 4.7%
Quba
$3.7 * 0.7% ↓ 95.8%$83
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$1.4K 37.2%
Quba
$173 14.2% ↓ 87.8%$1.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$790 20.7%
Quba
$287 23.5% ↓ 63.6%$503
🍽Eating Out
Nosara
$734 19.2%
Quba
$375 30.7% ↓ 48.9%$359
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$222 5.8%
Quba
$73 6% ↓ 66.9%$148
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$267 7%
Quba
$210 17.2% ↓ 21.4%$57
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$210 5.5%
Quba
$95 * 7.7% ↓ 54.9%$115
🚌Getting Around
Nosara
$176 4.6%
Quba
$7.9 * 0.7% ↓ 95.5%$169
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 $174 in Quba. 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 319% 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 $29.00 in Quba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $124 – making Quba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Quba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Quba compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $558 in Quba – roughly 230% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Quba?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $836 in Quba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Quba?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Quba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $29.00 in Quba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 185% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Quba, where all-in costs run around $558, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Quba 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 Quba?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $558 in Quba to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Quba 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 Quba?
If budget matters most, go with Quba. 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.