Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santo Domingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo: $660 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo
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Santo Domingo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santo Domingo

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $660 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Santo Domingo $660

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,141 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Santo Domingo $1,141

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,622 in Santo Domingo, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Santo Domingo $1,622

Nosara costs about 178% more than Santo Domingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Santo Domingo is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$4.02 $4.02

207.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$53.2 $53.2

14.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$9.14 $9.14

-17.72%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$1.97 $1.97

123.86%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$0.91 $0.91

91.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.70 $0.70

87.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$1.97 $1.97

66.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$4.16 $4.16

7.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$0.99 $0.99

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$1.92 $1.92

57.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.29 $1.29

94.57%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$1.99 $1.99

79.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$4.34 $4.34

71.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$3.05 $3.05

244.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$3.41 $3.41

309.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.48 $1.48

58.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.01 $1.01

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$0.99 $0.99

384.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$0.89 $0.89

80.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$0.98 $0.98

287.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$0.96 $0.96

284.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.88 $0.88

28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.94 $0.94

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$5.98 $5.98

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$4.87 $4.87

308.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.50 $1.50

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$2.14 $2.14

69.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$0.36 $0.36

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$17.55 $17.55

313.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.39 $1.39

53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.78 $1.78

-11.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$12.05 $12.05

-29.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$0.87 $0.87

74.71%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.7K $20.7K

4.42%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.8K $30.8K

11.97%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$40.18 $40.18

139.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.86 $9.86

264.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$22.82 $22.82

134.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$33.64 $33.64

112.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.85 $16.85

107.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$7.45 $7.45

5.91%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$371 $371

33.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,686 $5,686

108.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$19.91 $19.91

170.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$29.90 $29.90

85.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$50.9 $50.9

53.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$49.14 $49.14

62.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$305 $305

158.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$191 $191

316.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$712 $712

453.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$420 $420

238.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,353 $1,353

410.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$781 $781

56.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$404 $404

113.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santo Domingo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Santo Domingo

$191 28.9% 76% $604

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Santo Domingo

$144 21.8% 59.2% $209

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Santo Domingo

$108 16.3% 49.1% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Santo Domingo

$73 11% 60.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santo Domingo

$67 10.2% 43.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santo Domingo

$49 7.4% 44.5% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Santo Domingo

$29 4.4% 66.4% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $305 in Santo Domingo. 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 114% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $53.0 in Santo Domingo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $144 – making Santo Domingo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Santo Domingo

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

16:45 4:45 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

270,875

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santo Domingo 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santo Domingo

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 Santo Domingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $660 in Santo Domingo – roughly 178% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $991 in Santo Domingo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 314% less in Santo Domingo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $371 in Santo Domingo. 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 Santo Domingo, where all-in costs run around $660, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santo Domingo 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 $660 in Santo Domingo to $1,839 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 Santo Domingo. 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.