Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Pedro, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro: $1,714 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro
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San Pedro Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

San Pedro

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $1,714 in San Pedro, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
San Pedro $1,714

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $2,716 in San Pedro, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
San Pedro $2,716

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $3,718 in San Pedro, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
San Pedro $3,718

Nosara costs about 8% more than San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and San Pedro sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, San Pedro by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,569

$12.28 ₡5,522

0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$60.9 ₡27.4K

-0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$11.62 ₡5,225

-32.79%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.47 ₡2,008

-2.24%

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

$1.78 ₡801

$2.71 ₡1,219

-34.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.87 ₡839

-27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.22 ₡1,447

5.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,940

$4.32 ₡1,941

-0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.31 ₡1,040

-32.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$3.08 ₡1,384

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.40 ₡1,080

4.58%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.46 ₡1,556

2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,314

$10.56 ₡4,750

-30.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,704

$10.28 ₡4,624

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,256

$14.01 ₡6,300

-0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.08 ₡2,286

-55.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.64 ₡738

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$4.73 ₡2,127

-0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.94 ₡1,771

-58.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,747

$3.80 ₡1,707

2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.76 ₡1,690

0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.07 ₡483

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$3.12 ₡1,402

-16.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$5.76 ₡2,590

-10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,144

$19.79 ₡8,902

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.81 ₡1,264

3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.68 ₡1,654

-0.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.33 ₡598

-1.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.40 ₡1,081

-8.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.57 ₡708

17.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,514

$8.58 ₡3,856

-8.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.53 ₡686

1.96%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-1.90%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$41.2K ₡18.5M

-7.70%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$93.6 ₡42.1K

2.45%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$35.72 ₡16.1K

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$59.5 ₡26.7K

-9.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$68.5 ₡30.8K

-1.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.72 ₡3,472

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

$496 ₡222.9K

$976 ₡439.0K

-49.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.1K ₡7.7M

-30.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$72.4 ₡32.5K

-24.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$56.6 ₡25.4K

-2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$128 ₡57.7K

-37.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$132 ₡59.3K

-40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$818 ₡367.9K

-0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.8K

$623 ₡280.1K

28.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,869 ₡840.7K

108.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.7K

$1,242 ₡558.3K

12.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.4K

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: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

San Pedro

$623 36.3% 22.2% $177

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

San Pedro

$398 23.2% 12.9% $45

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

San Pedro

$230 13.4% 7.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

San Pedro

$189 11% 2.1% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Pedro

$175 10.2% 45.6% $55

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

San Pedro

$16 * 0.9% 82.6% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

San Pedro

$84 4.9% 1.2% $1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $818 in San Pedro. 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 $61 in San Pedro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $398 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 San Pedro

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

27,477

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara San Pedro 130 km

From you

Nosara
San Pedro

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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $1,714 in San Pedro – San Pedro comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $2,571 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $817 in Nosara and $818 in San Pedro. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $976 in San Pedro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,844 in Nosara and $1,714 in San Pedro. That makes San Pedro about 7% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,844 in Nosara and $1,714 in San Pedro, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,714 in San Pedro to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.