Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico

For one person, living is cheaper in San Lorenzo: $1,264 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara, Costa Rica
San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
San Lorenzo
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,264
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $1,264 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,846
  • San Lorenzo $1,264

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $1,992 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,833
  • San Lorenzo $1,992

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $2,720 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,820
  • San Lorenzo $2,720

Nosara costs about 46% more than San Lorenzo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while San Lorenzo is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.36 ₡5,575
$11.76 $11.76
5.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 ₡27.4K
$83.4 $83.4
-27.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ₡3,557
$9.33 $9.33
-15.54%
Cappuccino
$4.40 ₡1,986
$3.69 $3.69
19.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡776
$1.90 $1.90
-9.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₡603
$1.44 $1.44
-6.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 ₡1,505
$3.09 $3.09
8.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 ₡2,048
$4.89 $4.89
-7.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₡739
$2.18 $2.18
-24.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 ₡1,426
$3.61 $3.61
-12.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.39 ₡1,080
$2.43 $2.43
-1.65%
Eggs
$3.47 ₡1,564
$7.54 $7.54
-53.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.13 ₡3,217
$12.78 $12.78
-44.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.32 ₡4,655
$9.44 $9.44
9.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,302
$13.57 $13.57
2.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,031
$5.19 $5.19
-55.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ₡731
$2.52 $2.52
-35.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.81 ₡2,169
$4.85 $4.85
-0.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 ₡758
$4.78 $4.78
-64.85%
Potato (1kg)
$3.91 ₡1,765
$3.75 $3.75
4.27%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 ₡1,640
$3.90 $3.90
-6.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡509
$3.42 $3.42
-66.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 ₡1,188
$1.67 $1.67
57.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 ₡2,267
$11.76 $11.76
-57.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.71 ₡8,893
$15.41 $15.41
27.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 ₡1,314
$2.99 $2.99
-2.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 ₡1,597
$4.05 $4.05
-12.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 ₡545
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.15 ₡969
$2.55 $2.55
-15.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ₡738
$1.53 $1.53
6.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.77 ₡3,958
$42.67 $42.67
-79.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡700
$1.19 $1.19
30.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K ₡15.3M
$34.9K $34.9K
-3.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K ₡17.4M
$28.2K $28.2K
36.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.2 ₡43.0K
$323 $323
-70.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.29 ₡16.4K
$69.2 $69.2
-47.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 ₡23.5K
$69.1 $69.1
-24.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 ₡3,404
$10.45 $10.45
-27.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$496 ₡224.0K
$835 $835
-40.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K ₡5.3M
$12.4K $12.4K
-5.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1 ₡24.9K
$55.2 $55.2
-0.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 ₡25.3K
$60.2 $60.2
-6.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 ₡35.1K
$110 $110
-29.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 ₡35.7K
$112 $112
-29.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 ₡368.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$806 ₡363.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,429 ₡644.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,197 ₡540.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
San Lorenzo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$888 ₡400.7K
-
-
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 24, 2026

Last update for San Lorenzo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$806
San Lorenzo
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$351
San Lorenzo
$415 18.2% $64
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
San Lorenzo
$205 3.9% $8.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
San Lorenzo
$461 151% $278
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
San Lorenzo
$152 25.9% $31
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
San Lorenzo
$10 * 88.5% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$83
San Lorenzo
$21 * 74.7% $62

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 in Nosara versus $83 in San Lorenzo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $415 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇵🇷 San Lorenzo
🕒 Local time
08:22 8:22 AM
10:22 10:22 AM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
9,373
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara San Lorenzo 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • San Lorenzo

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 Lorenzo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in San Lorenzo compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Nosara, $1,264 in San Lorenzo – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to San Lorenzo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $1,897 in San Lorenzo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $83 in San Lorenzo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Lorenzo, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Nosara at $1,846. In San Lorenzo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and San Lorenzo?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,264 in San Lorenzo to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

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