Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Quito

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Quito $979

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Quito $2,234

Nosara costs about 88% more than Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Quito is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$6.14 $6.14

99.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$53.9 $53.9

11.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.81 $7.81

-3.46%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.42 $3.42

26.02%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.44 $1.44

19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.14 $1.14

18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.48 $3.48

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.89 $5.89

-23.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.14 $1.14

37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.54 $1.54

105.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.51 $1.51

60.26%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.16 $2.16

65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.40 $6.40

16.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.48 $5.48

90.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.81 $7.81

74.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.33 $2.33

-0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.24 $1.24

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.31 $1.31

261.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.14 $1.14

45.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.21 $1.21

207.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.02 $1.02

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.93 $0.93

18.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.05 $1.05

142.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.02 $6.02

-17.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.93 $9.93

101.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.59 $1.59

75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.08 $3.08

14.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.37 $0.37

221.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$20.95 $20.95

244.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.54 $1.54

45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.53 $1.53

1.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$10.01 $10.01

-11.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.87 $0.87

80.46%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.0K $21.0K

3.90%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$28.6K $28.6K

21.31%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$28.97 $28.97

222.58%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$17.57 $17.57

99.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$28.14 $28.14

82.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$46.48 $46.48

53.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.70 $17.70

100.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.38 $6.38

22.88%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$746 $746

-34.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$9,015 $9,015

31.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$68.8 $68.8

-22.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$50.4 $50.4

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$117 $117

-32.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$109 $109

-27.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$478 $478

64.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$313 $313

149.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$967 $967

298.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$549 $549

156.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,763 $1,763

295.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$720 $720

66.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$597 $597

46.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.12

-14.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Quito

$313 31.8% 59.8% $467

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Quito

$198 20.1% 43.5% $152

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Quito

$153 15.5% 26.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Quito

$75 7.6% 58.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Quito

$156 15.8% 29.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Quito

$59 6% 32% $28

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Quito

$32 3.2% 63.6% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $478 in Quito. 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 $54.0 in Quito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $198 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

20:53 8:53 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Quito 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Quito

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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $979 in Quito – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,468 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 244% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $746 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Quito 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 $979 in Quito 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 Quito. 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.