Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Rosarito

For one person, living is cheaper in Rosarito: $1,173 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Rosarito
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Rosarito Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Rosarito

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Rosarito

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,173 in Rosarito, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Rosarito $1,173

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,900 in Rosarito, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Rosarito $1,900

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,628 in Rosarito, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Rosarito $2,628

Nosara costs about 57% more than Rosarito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Rosarito is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$12.41 MX$228

-1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$34.87 MX$640

72.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.82 MX$180

-23.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.26 MX$78.2

1.17%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.37 MX$25.20

25.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.24 MX$22.83

8.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.42 MX$62.7

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.57 MX$121

-31.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.80 MX$33.03

-12.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.01 MX$55.3

5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.76 MX$32.27

37.50%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.31 MX$60.7

7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.34 MX$153

-10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$7.32 MX$134

42.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.88 MX$218

14.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.86 MX$52.5

-18.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.68 MX$30.79

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.91 MX$35.02

148.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.65 MX$30.30

0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.58 MX$28.93

135.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.91 MX$35.07

86.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.47 MX$27.08

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.07 MX$19.73

138.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.37 MX$80.2

13.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.20 MX$151

144.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.30 MX$42.15

21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$4.11 MX$75.5

-14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.66 MX$12.11

80.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.00 MX$55.2

-25.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.28 MX$41.84

-32.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$11.05 MX$203

-19.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.31 MX$24.12

19.85%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.2K MX$389.6K

2.75%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.4K MX$448.8K

41.68%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$48.34 MX$887

93.32%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$34.02 MX$625

3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$29.93 MX$550

72.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$35.33 MX$649

102.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$20.08 MX$369

76.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.88 MX$126

13.95%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$210 MX$3,849

133.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$4,684 MX$86.0K

153.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$54.5 MX$1,000

-1.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$46.77 MX$859

19.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$104 MX$1,901

-23.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$69.5 MX$1,277

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$624 MX$11.5K

25.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$396 MX$7,274

96.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,036 MX$19.0K

272.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$776 MX$14.2K

81.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,894 MX$34.8K

268.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,146 MX$21.0K

4.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.07

-28.58%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rosarito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Rosarito

$396 33.4% 49.2% $384

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Rosarito

$269 22.7% 22.9% $80

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Rosarito

$220 18.6% 5.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Rosarito

$112 9.5% 37.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Rosarito

$123 10.4% 2.6% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Rosarito

$49 4.1% 43.6% $38

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Rosarito

$17 * 1.4% 80.4% $70

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 $624 in Rosarito. 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $35.00 in Rosarito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $269 – making Rosarito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Rosarito

🕒 Local time

01:12 1:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

100,660

💱 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 Rosarito 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Rosarito

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 Rosarito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,173 in Rosarito – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,759 in Rosarito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rosarito, 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 $35.00 in Rosarito. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rosarito, where all-in costs run around $1,173, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Rosarito 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 $1,173 in Rosarito 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 Rosarito. 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.