Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Trujillo Alto

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Trujillo Alto: $1,839 and $1,768 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo Alto
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Trujillo Alto Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Trujillo Alto

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Trujillo Alto

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,768 in Trujillo Alto, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Trujillo Alto $1,768

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,648 in Trujillo Alto, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Trujillo Alto $2,648

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,529 in Trujillo Alto, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Trujillo Alto $3,529

Nosara costs about 4% more than Trujillo Alto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Trujillo Alto sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Trujillo Alto by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.07 $13.07

-5.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$81.2 $81.2

-24.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.96 $8.96

-16.07%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.91 $2.91

51.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.89 $1.89

-7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.97 $0.97

35.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.08 $3.08

6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.88 $3.88

15.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.10 $2.10

-25.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.32 $3.32

-9.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.35 $2.35

6.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.77 $4.77

-25.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.63 $8.63

-13.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.51 $9.51

10.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.80 $7.80

79.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.48 $4.48

-47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.55 $2.55

-36.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$5.00 $5.00

-4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.96 $3.96

-59.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.70 $3.70

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.88 $3.88

-4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.50 $3.50

-67.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.54 $1.54

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.15 $10.15

-48.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.14 $15.14

31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.09 $3.09

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.11 $4.11

-11.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.54 $2.54

-15.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.52 $1.52

3.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$41.59 $41.59

-79.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.03 $1.03

47.57%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.5K $34.5K

-37.41%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.3K $28.3K

22.02%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$322 $322

-70.09%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$59.9 $59.9

-40.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$70.6 $70.6

-24.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$30.38 $30.38

135.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.09 $10.09

245.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.46 $10.46

-24.57%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$346 $346

42.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,414 $5,414

119.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$39.37 $39.37

37.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$54.9 $54.9

0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$89.7 $89.7

-13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$113 $113

-29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$700 $700

12.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$557 $557

42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,158 $1,158

240.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$948 $948

49.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,918 $1,918

260.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,611 $1,611

-24.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,362 $3,362

-74.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.55

31.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Trujillo Alto: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Trujillo Alto

$557 31.5% 29.9% $238

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Trujillo Alto

$362 20.5% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Trujillo Alto

$201 11.4% 5.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Trujillo Alto

$452 25.6% 144% $267

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Trujillo Alto

$134 7.6% 11.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Trujillo Alto

$51 2.9% 41.3% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Trujillo Alto

$10 * 0.6% 88.4% $77

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 $700 in Trujillo Alto. 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 289% higher in Trujillo Alto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $81.0 in Trujillo Alto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $362 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇷 Trujillo Alto

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

16:12 4:12 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

43,712

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Trujillo Alto 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Trujillo Alto

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 Trujillo Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,768 in Trujillo Alto – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,652 in Trujillo Alto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Trujillo Alto, 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 $81.0 in Trujillo Alto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Trujillo Alto, where all-in costs run around $1,768, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Trujillo Alto 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 $1,768 in Trujillo Alto 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 Trujillo Alto. 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.