Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $1,684 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
84

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,684 in San Juan, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
San Juan $1,684

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,772 in San Juan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
San Juan $2,772

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,861 in San Juan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
San Juan $3,861

Nosara costs about 9% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and San Juan sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, San Juan by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.36 ₡5,541

-0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.46 ₡5,139

-34.38%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.42 ₡1,982

-0.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.77 ₡1,240

-37.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.94 ₡870

-32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.31 ₡1,483

-0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.45 ₡1,996

0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.34 ₡1,052

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.18 ₡1,425

-5.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.46 ₡1,551

3.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.66 ₡4,782

-30.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.33 ₡4,633

1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.90 ₡6,233

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.97 ₡2,230

-52.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.59 ₡714

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.64 ₡2,079

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.95 ₡1,771

-59.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.86 ₡1,731

-1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.75 ₡1,684

-1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.07 ₡479

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$3.08 ₡1,379

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.00 ₡2,691

-13.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$19.72 ₡8,844

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.76 ₡1,236

5.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.69 ₡1,654

-1.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.37 ₡614

-18.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.41 ₡1,079

-11.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.54 ₡693

1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.58 ₡3,849

-0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.55 ₡695

-1.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-0.12%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.9K ₡15.6M

-1.00%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$96.4 ₡43.2K

-0.08%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$35.06 ₡15.7K

2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$59.3 ₡26.6K

-9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$66.9 ₡30.0K

7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.50 ₡3,362

5.20%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,001 ₡449.1K

-50.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-29.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$70.9 ₡31.8K

-23.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$55.3 ₡24.8K

0.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$126 ₡56.6K

-38.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$134 ₡60.2K

-40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$717 ₡321.3K

9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$593 ₡266.1K

33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,850 ₡829.6K

112.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,386 ₡621.4K

2.43%

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

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

San Juan

$593 35.2% 25.3% $201

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

San Juan

$398 23.6% 13% $46

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

San Juan

$231 13.7% 8.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

San Juan

$191 11.3% 2.7% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Juan

$174 10.3% 44.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

San Juan

$82 4.9% 6.3% $5.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

San Juan

$16 * 0.9% 82.1% $72

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 $717 in San Juan. 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 $61.0 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $398 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

27,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Nosara San Juan 170 km

From you

Nosara
San Juan

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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,684 in San Juan – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,526 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $1,684, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Juan 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 $1,684 in San Juan 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 Juan. 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.