Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santo Domingo Este

For one person, living is cheaper in Santo Domingo Este: $643 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Santo Domingo Este
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Santo Domingo Este Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Santo Domingo Este

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $643 in Santo Domingo Este, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Santo Domingo Este $643

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,043 in Santo Domingo Este, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Santo Domingo Este $1,043

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,442 in Santo Domingo Este, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Santo Domingo Este $1,442

Nosara costs about 186% more than Santo Domingo Este, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Santo Domingo Este is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.06 DOP 310

144.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$40.96 DOP 2,509

49.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.51 DOP 399

15.51%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.00 DOP 61.3

341.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.04 DOP 63.8

67.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.60 DOP 36.58

118.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.41 DOP 147

36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.14 DOP 193

42.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.34 DOP 81.9

16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.47 DOP 90.0

105.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.59 DOP 97.5

57.86%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.29 DOP 141

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.20 DOP 441

3.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.68 DOP 348

85.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.70 DOP 411

108.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.08 DOP 189

-23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.84 DOP 51.4

91.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.72 DOP 167

76.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.87 DOP 115

-13.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.97 DOP 121

92.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.23 DOP 137

65.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.02 DOP 62.7

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.95 DOP 58.3

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.35 DOP 328

-3.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.36 DOP 635

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.60 DOP 159

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.96 DOP 182

22.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.28 DOP 201

-34.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.20 DOP 135

-28.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.66 DOP 346

50.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.29 DOP 79.3

17.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.9K DOP 1.4M

-5.55%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.8K DOP 2.1M

2.08%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$93.6 DOP 5,735

2.85%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.04 DOP 1,963

12.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$35.97 DOP 2,204

48.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.49 DOP 459

5.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$251 DOP 15.4K

96.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,405 DOP 453.6K

60.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.98 DOP 2,817

17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$45.49 DOP 2,787

21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$87.4 DOP 5,356

-10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$121 DOP 7,425

-34.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$593 DOP 36.3K

45.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.56

-36.43%

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 Este: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Santo Domingo Este

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Santo Domingo Este

$220 34.2% 37.6% $132

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Santo Domingo Este

$97 15.1% 54.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Santo Domingo Este

$162 25.1% 13% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santo Domingo Este

$135 21% 12.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santo Domingo Este

$15 * 2.3% 82.8% $72

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Santo Domingo Este

$14 * 2.2% 83.6% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 46% 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 $41.00 in Santo Domingo Este. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $220 – making Santo Domingo Este the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇩🇴 Santo Domingo Este

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,000,230

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Santo Domingo Este 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santo Domingo Este

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 Este: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $643 in Santo Domingo Este – roughly 186% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $964 in Santo Domingo Este. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $41.00 in Santo Domingo Este. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 60% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santo Domingo Este, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santo Domingo Este 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 $643 in Santo Domingo Este 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 Este. 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.