Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tamarindo

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
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Tamarindo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tamarindo

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tamarindo $2,127

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,081 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tamarindo $3,081

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,035 in Tamarindo, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tamarindo $4,035

Nosara is about 14% cheaper than Tamarindo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Tamarindo sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Tamarindo by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.18 ₡5,463

1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$62.3 ₡28.0K

-1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.87 ₡5,324

-36.65%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.34 ₡1,948

1.61%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.65 ₡1,188

-34.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.91 ₡856

-31.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.27 ₡1,465

0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.56 ₡2,043

-1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.42 ₡1,085

-35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.12 ₡1,400

-3.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.42 ₡1,088

3.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.47 ₡1,556

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.53 ₡4,721

-29.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.52 ₡4,716

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.17 ₡6,354

-1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.21 ₡2,336

-54.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.60 ₡717

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.54 ₡1,588

35.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.90 ₡1,747

-58.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.55 ₡1,141

49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.71 ₡1,665

-0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.09 ₡487

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$3.07 ₡1,376

-13.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.20 ₡2,331

-0.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.18 ₡5,912

50.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.78 ₡1,249

4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.09 ₡1,385

17.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.07 ₡929

-45.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$85.4 ₡38.3K

-14.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.38 ₡1,065

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.63 ₡729

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.64 ₡2,978

28.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.50 ₡675

1.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.4K ₡10.0M

-3.37%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.7K ₡15.6M

-0.56%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$93.5 ₡41.9K

2.94%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.01 ₡13.5K

19.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$59.1 ₡26.5K

-9.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$101 ₡45.3K

-29.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$26.01 ₡11.7K

34.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.90 ₡3,543

-0.13%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$575 ₡257.7K

-14.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,081 ₡4.1M

30.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$71.5 ₡32.1K

-24.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$26.29 ₡11.8K

110.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$120 ₡53.7K

-34.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$131 ₡58.9K

-39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,921 ₡861.5K

-58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$960 ₡430.6K

-17.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,738 ₡1.2M

43.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,371 ₡614.9K

3.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,341 ₡2.4M

29.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,241 ₡1.5M

-62.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$949 ₡425.7K

-9.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tamarindo

$960 45.1% 20.9% $166

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tamarindo

$378 17.8% 7.2% $25

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tamarindo

$229 10.8% 8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tamarindo

$183 8.6% 1.7% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tamarindo

$157 7.4% 30.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tamarindo

$117 5.5% 33.7% $29

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tamarindo

$104 4.9% 19.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,921 in Tamarindo. 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 10% higher in Tamarindo, 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 $62.0 in Tamarindo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $378 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

6,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Tamarindo 41 km

From you

Nosara
Tamarindo

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 Tamarindo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,127 in Tamarindo – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,191 in Tamarindo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 18% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $575 in Tamarindo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Tamarindo at $2,127. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarindo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tamarindo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,127 in Tamarindo. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tamarindo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.