Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tacna

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $438 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Tacna
🇵🇪 Peru
$438
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tacna

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $438 in Tacna, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Tacna $438

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $627 in Tacna, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Tacna $627

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $816 in Tacna, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Tacna $816

Nosara costs about 320% more than Tacna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Tacna is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$2.92 PEN 10.02
322.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$14.56 PEN 50.0
320.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$5.06 PEN 17.36
48.62%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.42 PEN 11.75
28.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$1.14 PEN 3.91
52.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.46 PEN 1.56
184.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$2.97 PEN 10.20
10.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$3.45 PEN 11.86
29.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.19 PEN 4.10
31.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.41 PEN 4.86
114.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$0.86 PEN 2.94
191.86%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$1.71 PEN 5.88
108.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$4.45 PEN 15.30
66.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$4.67 PEN 16.05
125.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$8.46 PEN 29.05
65.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.42 PEN 4.86
13.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$0.84 PEN 2.87
471.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$0.75 PEN 2.59
406.67%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.70 PEN 2.39
280.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$4.46 PEN 15.32
16.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$6.36 PEN 21.84
212.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.59 PEN 8.88
11.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$0.28 PEN 0.95
300.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$1.91 PEN 6.56
12.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$18.92 PEN 65.0
89.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$25.96 PEN 89.2
106.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$29.45 PEN 101
143.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$2.62 PEN 9.01
201.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$57.7 PEN 198
756.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$20.29 PEN 69.7
165.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$20.61 PEN 70.8
168.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$26.48 PEN 91.0
200.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$70.4 PEN 242
1028.92%
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Tacna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$467 PEN 1,602
85.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
0
-

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tacna: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Tacna
–
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Tacna
–
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Tacna
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Tacna
–
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Tacna
–
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Tacna
–
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Tacna
–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 85% 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 $15.00 in Tacna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $147 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇵🇪 Tacna
🕒 Local time
13:24 1:24 PM
14:24 2:24 PM
1 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
92,972
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Tacna 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Tacna

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 Tacna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Tacna compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $438 in Tacna – roughly 320% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Tacna?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $656 in Tacna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $15.00 in Tacna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 140% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tacna, where all-in costs run around $438, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tacna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Tacna?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $438 in Tacna to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Tacna safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Tacna?
If budget matters most, go with Tacna. 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.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?