Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Soledad

For one person, living is cheaper in Soledad: $1,307 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Soledad
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Soledad Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Soledad

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Soledad

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,307 in Soledad, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Soledad $1,307

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,057 in Soledad, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Soledad $2,057

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,806 in Soledad, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Soledad $2,806

Nosara costs about 41% more than Soledad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Soledad is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$5.83 COP 18.6K

111.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$42.55 COP 135.3K

43.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$10.03 COP 31.9K

-25.02%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$2.56 COP 8,136

72.27%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$2.55 COP 8,119

-31.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$2.25 COP 7,155

-41.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$3.33 COP 10.6K

-1.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$5.15 COP 16.4K

-13.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.94 COP 6,155

-19.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$2.77 COP 8,795

9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.43 COP 4,543

75.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$4.98 COP 15.8K

-28.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$7.85 COP 25.0K

-5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$9.74 COP 31.0K

8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$13.34 COP 42.4K

4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.46 COP 11.0K

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.65 COP 5,235

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$2.00 COP 6,361

140.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.68 COP 5,341

-4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.25 COP 3,960

204.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$1.36 COP 4,330

171.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$1.08 COP 3,442

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.19 COP 3,799

123.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$3.55 COP 11.3K

45.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$14.35 COP 45.6K

38.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$1.41 COP 4,477

105.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$2.20 COP 7,011

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.26 COP 4,008

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$1.58 COP 5,017

35.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$3.65 COP 11.6K

-56.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$9.19 COP 29.2K

-7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.33 COP 4,240

14.29%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.1K COP 73.5M

-6.49%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.0K COP 108.0M

1.61%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$79.3 COP 252.3K

21.39%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.95 COP 38.0K

200.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$25.61 COP 81.5K

109.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$32.77 COP 104.2K

118.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$8.05 COP 25.6K

-1.99%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$627 COP 2.0M

-21.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,760 COP 18.3M

105.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$92.9 COP 295.3K

-41.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$48.49 COP 154.2K

14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$116 COP 370.5K

-33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$109 COP 347.8K

-27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$629 COP 2.0M

25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

$504 COP 1.6M

57.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$876 COP 2.8M

349.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$973 COP 3.1M

45.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,768 COP 5.6M

290.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

$1,584 COP 5.0M

-22.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.53%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Soledad: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Soledad

$504 38.6% 36.6% $291

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Soledad

$294 22.5% 16.6% $59

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Soledad

$154 11.8% 27.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Soledad

$117 8.9% 37.1% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Soledad

$165 12.6% 37.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Soledad

$49 3.7% 44.1% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Soledad

$25 * 1.9% 71.5% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $629 in Soledad. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Soledad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $294 – making Soledad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇴 Soledad

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

03:46 3:46 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

582,156

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Soledad 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Soledad

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 Soledad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,307 in Soledad – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,960 in Soledad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $43.00 in Soledad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Soledad, where all-in costs run around $1,307, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Soledad 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 $1,307 in Soledad 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 Soledad. 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.