Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and The Valley

For one person, living is cheaper in The Valley: $734 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

The Valley

🇦🇮 Anguilla

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in The Valley

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $734 in The Valley, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
The Valley $734

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,481 in The Valley, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
The Valley $1,481

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,227 in The Valley, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
The Valley $2,227

Nosara costs about 150% more than The Valley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while The Valley is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$20.34 EC$54.9

-39.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$130 EC$352

-53.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$11.85 EC$31.99

-36.37%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.12 EC$13.83

-15.82%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.56 EC$9.62

-51.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$3.52 EC$9.50

-61.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$6.17 EC$16.66

-47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.55 EC$17.68

-31.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.92 EC$7.89

-46.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.97 EC$10.71

-39.04%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.82 EC$13.01

-25.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$13.82 EC$37.32

-24.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$25.21 EC$68.1

-45.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.06 EC$13.66

-54.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.08 EC$8.31

-47.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.03 EC$10.87

17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.85 EC$13.10

-65.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$4.09 EC$11.06

-9.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$4.04 EC$10.90

-11.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$3.89 EC$10.51

-71.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$3.02 EC$8.17

-15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$10.02 EC$27.06

-50.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$20.59 EC$55.6

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 5, 2026

Last update for The Valley: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

The Valley

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

The Valley

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

The Valley

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

The Valley

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

The Valley

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

The Valley

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

The Valley

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $130 in The Valley. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $407 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇮 The Valley

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara The Valley 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
The Valley

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 The Valley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $734 in The Valley – roughly 150% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,101 in The Valley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $130 in The Valley. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $734 in The Valley. That's a gap of about 150%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in The Valley, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Nosara at $1,837. In The Valley 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 $734 in The Valley to $1,837 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 The Valley. 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.