Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Quesada

For one person, living is cheaper in Quesada: $1,680 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Quesada
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Quesada Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Quesada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,680

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Quesada

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

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $1,680 in Quesada, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
Quesada $1,680

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $2,668 in Quesada, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
Quesada $2,668

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $3,656 in Quesada, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
Quesada $3,656

Nosara costs about 10% more than Quesada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Quesada sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Quesada by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,577

$12.40 ₡5,584

-0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$61.7 ₡27.8K

-1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,518

$11.57 ₡5,211

-32.50%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,969

$4.57 ₡2,059

-4.38%

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

$1.78 ₡802

$2.75 ₡1,238

-35.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡606

$1.92 ₡866

-29.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,528

$3.27 ₡1,472

3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,942

$2.49 ₡1,121

73.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$2.41 ₡1,085

-35.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,428

$2.76 ₡1,242

14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,132

$2.45 ₡1,103

2.45%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,587

$2.60 ₡1,172

35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,318

$10.68 ₡4,808

-30.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,710

$10.58 ₡4,765

-1.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,264

$13.85 ₡6,236

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,020

$5.19 ₡2,337

-56.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.60 ₡719

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,116

$1.12 ₡506

319.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡730

$3.82 ₡1,721

-57.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,749

$3.92 ₡1,765

-1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,706

$3.58 ₡1,614

5.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡482

$1.12 ₡503

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,176

$3.22 ₡1,450

-18.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,323

$5.79 ₡2,608

-10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,157

$15.29 ₡6,887

32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,312

$2.79 ₡1,256

4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,653

$3.58 ₡1,611

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡589

$1.36 ₡611

-3.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡33.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡985

$1.55 ₡698

41.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡831

$1.63 ₡736

12.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,519

$8.90 ₡4,009

-12.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.52 ₡683

2.63%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$34.4K ₡15.5M

-2.86%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$41.9K ₡18.9M

-9.22%

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

$95.9 ₡43.2K

$96.0 ₡43.2K

-0.16%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$29.80 ₡13.4K

18.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.2K

$55.5 ₡25.0K

-3.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.4K

$68.6 ₡30.9K

-1.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡16.0K

$16.66 ₡7,501

112.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,478

$5.35 ₡2,409

44.30%

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

$496 ₡223.2K

$253 ₡113.9K

95.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$4,284 ₡1.9M

177.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$70.3 ₡31.7K

-22.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.8K

$57.1 ₡25.7K

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡36.0K

$130 ₡58.4K

-38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.1K

$112 ₡50.4K

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.0K

$817 ₡367.8K

0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡360.3K

$638 ₡287.5K

25.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.8M

$1,921 ₡865.0K

102.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡628.5K

$1,264 ₡569.4K

10.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$4,128 ₡1.9M

69.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡550.4K

$2,196 ₡988.7K

-44.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.9K

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for Quesada: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Quesada

$638 38% 20.2% $162

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Quesada

$371 22.1% 5.3% $19

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Quesada

$229 13.6% 7.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Quesada

$181 10.8% 2% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Quesada

$166 9.9% 38% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Quesada

$15 * 0.9% 83.1% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Quesada

$79 4.7% 4.4% $3.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $817 in Quesada. 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 in Nosara versus $62 in Quesada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $371 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Quesada

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

42,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Nosara Quesada 140 km

From you

Nosara
Quesada

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 Quesada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $1,680 in Quesada – Quesada comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $2,520 in Quesada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $817 in Nosara and $817 in Quesada. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $253 in Quesada. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,844 in Nosara and $1,680 in Quesada. That makes Quesada about 9% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,844 in Nosara and $1,680 in Quesada, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,680 in Quesada to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.