Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Teresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Teresa: $1,530 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santa Teresa

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

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $1,530 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
Santa Teresa $1,530

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $2,295 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
Santa Teresa $2,295

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $3,061 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
Santa Teresa $3,061

Nosara costs about 20% more than Santa Teresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Santa Teresa sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Santa Teresa by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,578

$9.90 ₡4,459

25.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$42.31 ₡19.1K

43.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,519

$9.71 ₡4,374

-19.57%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,969

$3.70 ₡1,667

18.11%

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

$1.78 ₡802

$2.04 ₡917

-12.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡606

$1.63 ₡735

-17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,528

$3.03 ₡1,366

11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,943

$4.55 ₡2,048

-5.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$2.05 ₡925

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,428

$2.82 ₡1,270

12.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,132

$2.16 ₡972

16.20%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,588

$2.98 ₡1,344

18.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,319

$10.01 ₡4,509

-26.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,712

$8.97 ₡4,042

16.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,266

$13.60 ₡6,127

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,020

$4.56 ₡2,052

-50.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.44 ₡651

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,116

$4.12 ₡1,856

14.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡730

$3.07 ₡1,385

-47.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,749

$3.39 ₡1,526

14.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,707

$2.58 ₡1,161

46.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡482

$1.01 ₡455

5.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,176

$2.85 ₡1,282

-8.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,323

$5.09 ₡2,292

1.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,160

$13.79 ₡6,211

47.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,313

$2.36 ₡1,063

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,654

$2.62 ₡1,179

40.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡589

$0.96 ₡433

36.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡33.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡986

$1.84 ₡830

19.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡831

$1.83 ₡826

0.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,520

$7.95 ₡3,580

-1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.46 ₡659

6.85%

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

$33.4K ₡15.1M

$38.4K ₡17.3M

-12.95%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$32.7K ₡14.7M

16.31%

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

$95.9 ₡43.2K

$84.9 ₡38.2K

12.90%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$26.16 ₡11.8K

35.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.2K

$50.4 ₡22.7K

6.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.4K

$50.1 ₡22.6K

34.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡16.0K

$23.66 ₡10.7K

49.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,479

$8.89 ₡4,004

-13.16%

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

$496 ₡223.3K

$573 ₡257.9K

-13.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$12.4K ₡5.6M

-4.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$61.8 ₡27.8K

-11.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.8K

$51.2 ₡23.0K

7.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡36.0K

$127 ₡57.4K

-37.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.1K

$107 ₡48.0K

-26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.1K

$706 ₡318.2K

15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡360.4K

$592 ₡266.6K

35.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.8M

$1,461 ₡657.9K

166.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡628.7K

$955 ₡430.0K

46.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡550.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡396.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.17

-15.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Santa Teresa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Santa Teresa

$592 38.7% 26% $208

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Santa Teresa

$346 22.6% 1.7% $6.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Santa Teresa

$192 12.5% 10% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Santa Teresa

$161 10.6% 12.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santa Teresa

$156 10.2% 29.8% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1% 83.5% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4% 18.2% $15

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 $706 in Santa Teresa. 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 $42 in Santa Teresa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $346 – making Santa Teresa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,099

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Nosara Santa Teresa 65 km

From you

Nosara
Santa Teresa

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 Santa Teresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $1,530 in Santa Teresa – Santa Teresa comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $2,295 in Santa Teresa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Teresa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $706 there versus $817 in Nosara.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $573 in Santa Teresa. 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 $1,530 in Santa Teresa. That makes Santa Teresa about 17% cheaper.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,844 in Nosara and $1,530 in Santa Teresa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Teresa costs $1,530 versus $1,844 in Nosara. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.