Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Marco Argentano

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marco Argentano: $1,398 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in San Marco Argentano
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San Marco Argentano Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

San Marco Argentano

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in San Marco Argentano

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,398 in San Marco Argentano, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
San Marco Argentano $1,398

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,129 in San Marco Argentano, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
San Marco Argentano $2,129

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,860 in San Marco Argentano, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
San Marco Argentano $2,860

Nosara costs about 31% more than San Marco Argentano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and San Marco Argentano sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, San Marco Argentano by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$16.97 €15.10

-27.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$55.1 €48.98

11.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.95 €9.74

-29.13%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.38 €1.23

221.74%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.09 €0.97

64.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.57 €0.51

126.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.17 €1.93

49.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.27 €2.91

35.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.28 €1.13

21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.15 €1.02

167.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.17 €1.93

16.59%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.43 €3.05

0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$5.47 €4.86

33.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$5.68 €5.05

80.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$11.26 €10.01

25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.05 €1.82

11.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.69 €1.51

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.50 €1.34

219.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.20 €1.95

-25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.10 €0.98

250.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.22 €1.09

207.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.27 €1.13

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.44 €0.39

488.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$5.74 €5.11

-10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.85 €6.98

153.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.10 €0.98

154.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.61 €1.43

118.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.64 €1.45

-25.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$41.47 €36.89

78.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$5.52 €4.91

-60.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.68 €1.50

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$55.0 €48.95

-84.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.88 €1.67

-17.55%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.3K €19.0K

61.98%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$24.7K €22.0K

56.85%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$113 €100

-15.87%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$10.38 €9.23

248.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$27.79 €24.72

90.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$56.6 €50.4

30.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$23.77 €21.14

49.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$9.94 €8.84

-20.42%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$167 €148

193.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.1K €9,829

7.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$78.5 €69.8

-30.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$33.64 €29.92

66.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$86.2 €76.7

-6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$101 €89.8

-22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$722 €642

10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$562 €500

40.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,151 €1,024

247.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$910 €809

54.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,917 €2,594

142.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,024 €1,801

-38.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,694 €1,507

-47.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

331.00%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for San Marco Argentano: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

San Marco Argentano

$562 40.2% 28.8% $227

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

San Marco Argentano

$203 14.5% 41.9% $147

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

San Marco Argentano

$209 15% 1.6% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

San Marco Argentano

$151 10.8% 18% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

San Marco Argentano

$135 9.6% 11.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

San Marco Argentano

$76 5.5% 14.6% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

San Marco Argentano

$62 4.4% 30.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $722 in San Marco Argentano. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 91% higher in San Marco Argentano, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $55.0 in San Marco Argentano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $203 – making San Marco Argentano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 San Marco Argentano

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,200

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara San Marco Argentano 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
San Marco Argentano

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 Marco Argentano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,398 in San Marco Argentano – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,098 in San Marco Argentano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Marco Argentano, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 78% less in San Marco Argentano. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $167 in San Marco Argentano. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Marco Argentano, where all-in costs run around $1,398, than in Nosara at $1,835. In San Marco Argentano 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 $1,398 in San Marco Argentano 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 San Marco Argentano. 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.