Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Isidro

For one person, living is cheaper in San Isidro: $1,080 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
52

Cost of Living Index in San Isidro
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San Isidro Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

San Isidro

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in San Isidro

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,080 in San Isidro, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
San Isidro $1,080

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,774 in San Isidro, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
San Isidro $1,774

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,469 in San Isidro, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
San Isidro $2,469

Nosara costs about 70% more than San Isidro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while San Isidro is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.89 ARS 15.0K

24.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$37.49 ARS 56.9K

63.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.68 ARS 17.7K

-35.62%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.93 ARS 4,444

50.51%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.77 ARS 2,681

-1.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.63 ARS 2,474

-19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.91 ARS 5,927

-16.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.30 ARS 3,492

94.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.25 ARS 1,892

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.57 ARS 2,383

92.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.60 ARS 2,431

56.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.29 ARS 3,472

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.46 ARS 12.8K

-12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.09 ARS 9,242

72.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.33 ARS 15.7K

35.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.93 ARS 2,929

21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.59 ARS 2,406

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.02 ARS 1,555

370.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.01 ARS 3,046

-19.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.94 ARS 1,424

304.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.69 ARS 1,046

434.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.52 ARS 2,311

-25.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.69 ARS 2,563

57.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.25 ARS 4,925

59.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.87 ARS 7,383

308.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.26 ARS 1,915

130.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.83 ARS 4,298

28.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.94 ARS 1,430

19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.64 ARS 2,494

30.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.02 ARS 1,549

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.78 ARS 11.8K

9.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.09 ARS 1,657

39.45%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

-21.73%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.5K ARS 44.7M

17.19%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$59.0 ARS 89.6K

63.18%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.65 ARS 29.8K

82.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.03 ARS 41.0K

98.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.47 ARS 50.8K

113.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.78 ARS 7,246

65.06%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$470 ARS 713.2K

5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,938 ARS 13.6M

32.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$91.2 ARS 138.3K

-40.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$59.1 ARS 89.7K

-6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$114 ARS 173.7K

-31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$141 ARS 214.2K

-43.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$514 ARS 779.4K

53.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$335 ARS 507.9K

137.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,063 ARS 1.6M

270.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$777 ARS 1.2M

82.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

57.25

-84.94%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Isidro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

San Isidro

$335 31% 57.9% $460

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

San Isidro

$216 20% 38.7% $136

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

San Isidro

$187 17.3% 11.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

San Isidro

$106 9.8% 43.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Isidro

$183 16.9% 52.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

San Isidro

$43 4% 50.8% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

San Isidro

$11 * 1% 87.9% $77

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 $514 in San Isidro. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $37.00 in San Isidro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $216 – making San Isidro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇷 San Isidro

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

45,190

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara San Isidro 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
San Isidro

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 San Isidro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,080 in San Isidro – roughly 70% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,619 in San Isidro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Isidro, 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 $61.0 in Nosara and $37.00 in San Isidro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Isidro, where all-in costs run around $1,080, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Isidro 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 $1,080 in San Isidro to $1,839 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 San Isidro. 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.