Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sosua

For one person, living is cheaper in Sosua: $1,419 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Sosua
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Sosua Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sosua

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$1,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sosua

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,419 in Sosua, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sosua $1,419

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,218 in Sosua, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sosua $2,218

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,018 in Sosua, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sosua $3,018

Nosara costs about 30% more than Sosua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Sosua sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Sosua by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$9.98 DOP 609

23.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$48.89 DOP 2,986

25.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$7.44 DOP 454

1.08%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$2.20 DOP 135

100.45%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.05 DOP 64.4

65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.58 DOP 35.55

125.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$2.52 DOP 154

30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$3.31 DOP 202

35.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.33 DOP 81.2

17.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$1.54 DOP 94.0

96.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$0.63 DOP 38.63

298.41%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$1.99 DOP 121

79.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$7.13 DOP 435

4.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$5.55 DOP 339

89.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$6.76 DOP 413

106.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.05 DOP 186

-22.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$0.83 DOP 50.6

93.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$2.77 DOP 169

73.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.30 DOP 79.3

23.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.67 DOP 102

127.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$2.13 DOP 130

73.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$0.68 DOP 41.72

66.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.42 DOP 25.73

533.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$5.42 DOP 331

-4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$10.10 DOP 617

96.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$2.51 DOP 153

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$2.36 DOP 144

53.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$3.20 DOP 195

-33.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$2.28 DOP 139

-31.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$5.89 DOP 360

44.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.23 DOP 74.9

23.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.1K DOP 1.4M

-6.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.6K DOP 2.1M

2.74%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$65.6 DOP 4,008

46.74%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$28.03 DOP 1,712

28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$33.48 DOP 2,045

60.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$7.25 DOP 443

8.83%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$249 DOP 15.2K

98.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,322 DOP 447.2K

61.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.41 DOP 2,773

18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$45.44 DOP 2,775

21.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$86.0 DOP 5,253

-9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$125 DOP 7,641

-36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$852 DOP 52.0K

-7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

$771 DOP 47.1K

2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,704 DOP 104.0K

131.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$1,487 DOP 90.8K

-4.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,796 DOP 109.7K

284.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

$1,727 DOP 105.5K

-29.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

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 Sosua: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sosua

$771 54.4% 2.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sosua

$201 14.2% 43% $151

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sosua

$154 10.9% 27.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sosua

$127 9% 31.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sosua

$136 9.6% 13.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sosua

$15 * 1% 83.4% $73

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sosua

$15 * 1% 83.3% $73

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 $852 in Sosua. 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 $49.00 in Sosua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $201 – making Sosua the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇩🇴 Sosua

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,713

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

100 DOP = 1.64 USD

100 DOP = 1.46 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 61.07 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.39 DOP (100 DOP = 1.46 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sosua 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sosua

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 Sosua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,419 in Sosua – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,128 in Sosua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sosua, 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 $49.00 in Sosua. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% 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 Sosua, where all-in costs run around $1,419, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sosua 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 $1,419 in Sosua 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 Sosua. 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.