Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Luis Rio Colorado

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado: $1,229 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Rio Colorado
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San Luis Rio Colorado Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

San Luis Rio Colorado

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in San Luis Rio Colorado

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 Luis Rio Colorado actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Nosara $1,846
San Luis Rio Colorado $1,229

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $1,860 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Nosara $2,833
San Luis Rio Colorado $1,860

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $2,491 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Nosara $3,820
San Luis Rio Colorado $2,491

Nosara costs about 50% more than San Luis Rio Colorado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while San Luis Rio Colorado is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,575

$11.95 MX$223

3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$33.23 MX$620

82.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

$9.45 MX$176

-16.61%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

$4.19 MX$78.2

5.01%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$1.42 MX$26.45

21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$1.23 MX$22.94

8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

$3.16 MX$58.9

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

$6.43 MX$120

-29.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$1.72 MX$32.06

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,426

$2.93 MX$54.7

7.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$1.76 MX$32.80

35.80%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.10 MX$57.7

11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

$8.46 MX$158

-15.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

$7.24 MX$135

42.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

$11.50 MX$214

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

$2.87 MX$53.6

-20.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$1.59 MX$29.71

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

$1.96 MX$36.57

145.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$1.56 MX$29.13

7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

$1.49 MX$27.69

162.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

$1.82 MX$33.84

99.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.45 MX$27.04

-22.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$1.04 MX$19.42

152.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

$4.39 MX$81.8

14.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

$7.98 MX$149

146.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

$2.21 MX$41.19

31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

$4.02 MX$75.0

-11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

$0.69 MX$12.79

75.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

$32.51 MX$606

126.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

$2.75 MX$51.2

-21.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$2.20 MX$41.09

-25.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

$10.75 MX$200

-18.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.50 MX$27.97

3.33%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$24.2K MX$451.7K

39.84%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$23.6K MX$440.2K

62.93%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$46.01 MX$858

106.93%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$32.95 MX$614

10.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$29.62 MX$552

75.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$32.11 MX$598

110.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

$19.37 MX$361

83.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

$6.45 MX$120

16.90%

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

$496 ₡224.0K

$206 MX$3,832

141.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$4,436 MX$82.7K

165.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$52.5 MX$979

5.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$45.76 MX$853

22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$103 MX$1,917

-24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$69.7 MX$1,299

13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.9K

$572 MX$10.7K

42.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.6K

$428 MX$7,976

88.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

$893 MX$16.6K

346.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡644.9K

$668 MX$12.5K

113.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

$2,110 MX$39.3K

235.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

$1,092 MX$20.3K

9.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

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 24, 2026

Last update for San Luis Rio Colorado: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$428 34.8% 46.9% $378

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$263 21.4% 25.1% $88

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$213 17.4% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$109 8.8% 40.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$122 9.9% 1% $1.2

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$49 4% 44.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$45 3.7% 45.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $572 in San Luis Rio Colorado. 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 in Nosara versus $33 in San Luis Rio Colorado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $263 – making San Luis Rio Colorado the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 San Luis Rio Colorado

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

11:03 11:03 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

176,685

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara San Luis Rio Colorado 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
San Luis Rio Colorado

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 Luis Rio Colorado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Nosara, $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $1,843 in San Luis Rio Colorado. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $572 there versus $817 in Nosara.

Public transport costs about 56% less in San Luis Rio Colorado. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $206 in San Luis Rio Colorado. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,846 in Nosara and $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward San Luis Rio Colorado – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, San Luis Rio Colorado is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 50% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.