Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sabana Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabana Grande: $1,322 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Sabana Grande
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Sabana Grande Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Sabana Grande

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sabana Grande

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,322 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Sabana Grande $1,322

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,076 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Sabana Grande $2,076

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,830 in Sabana Grande, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Sabana Grande $2,830

Nosara costs about 39% more than Sabana Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Sabana Grande is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$18.84 $18.84

-34.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$80.6 $80.6

-23.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.04 $9.04

-14.16%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.67 $3.67

20.98%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.85 $1.85

-3.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.50 $1.50

-14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.06 $3.06

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.07 $5.07

-12.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.18 $2.18

-28.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.57 $3.57

-13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.41 $2.41

4.98%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$7.34 $7.34

-53.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$12.41 $12.41

-41.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.51 $9.51

7.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.57 $13.57

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.98 $4.98

-54.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.53 $2.53

-35.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.98 $4.98

-3.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.74 $4.74

-65.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.84 $3.84

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$4.00 $4.00

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$3.53 $3.53

-69.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.65 $1.65

56.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$11.96 $11.96

-57.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.75 $15.75

26.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$3.10 $3.10

-9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.11 $4.11

-14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.43 $2.43

-10.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.48 $1.48

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$41.52 $41.52

-79.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.17 $1.17

32.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.8K $34.8K

-0.86%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$28.4K $28.4K

36.44%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$327 $327

-70.98%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$69.6 $69.6

-48.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$68.8 $68.8

-22.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$10.44 $10.44

-24.23%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$810 $810

-39.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.3K $12.3K

-3.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$56.5 $56.5

-3.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$60.4 $60.4

-7.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$107 $107

-25.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$112 $112

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.55

31.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sabana Grande: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Sabana Grande

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Sabana Grande

$414 31.3% 18.5% $65

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Sabana Grande

$261 19.7% 22.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Sabana Grande

$465 35.2% 153% $281

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Sabana Grande

$151 11.5% 25.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Sabana Grande

$21 * 1.6% 76.7% $69

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Sabana Grande

$9.8 * 0.7% 88.9% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $81.0 in Sabana Grande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $414 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Sabana Grande

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

25,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sabana Grande 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sabana Grande

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 Sabana Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,322 in Sabana Grande – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,983 in Sabana Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $81.0 in Sabana Grande. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sabana Grande, where all-in costs run around $1,322, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Sabana Grande 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 $1,322 in Sabana Grande to $1,835 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 Sabana Grande. 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.