Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Trujillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $867 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
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Trujillo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Trujillo

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $867 in Trujillo, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Trujillo $867

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,340 in Trujillo, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Trujillo $1,340

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,814 in Trujillo, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Trujillo $1,814

Nosara costs about 112% more than Trujillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.50 PEN 12.01

252.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.64 PEN 81.2

158.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.01 PEN 24.07

7.28%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.25 PEN 11.17

35.69%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.89 PEN 3.06

95.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.62 PEN 2.12

111.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.98 PEN 6.81

65.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.46 PEN 11.89

29.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.31 PEN 4.50

19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.06 PEN 7.08

46.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.14 PEN 3.92

120.18%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.98 PEN 13.68

-10.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.81 PEN 26.82

-4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.54 PEN 22.46

60.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.20 PEN 31.61

51.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.67 PEN 5.74

40.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.61 PEN 2.08

163.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.60 PEN 2.06

700.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.89 PEN 3.07

80.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.00 PEN 3.42

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.14 PEN 3.90

223.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.24 PEN 4.24

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.14 PEN 3.93

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.22 PEN 14.49

22.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.72 PEN 19.66

247.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.71 PEN 5.88

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.63 PEN 5.61

122.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.57 PEN 1.94

96.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$17.65 PEN 60.6

311.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.53 PEN 8.68

-15.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.21 PEN 7.58

-28.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.98 PEN 20.55

42.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.70 PEN 5.84

-10.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$17.5K PEN 60.2K

23.34%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.8K PEN 95.3K

24.34%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$97.9 PEN 336

-1.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.84 PEN 44.08

179.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.05 PEN 92.9

98.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.49 PEN 136

81.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$5.79 PEN 19.89

502.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.40 PEN 15.11

79.32%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$107 PEN 369

360.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,078 PEN 7,136

470.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$71.8 PEN 247

-24.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$14.35 PEN 49.28

286.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$46.03 PEN 158

69.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$43.97 PEN 151

81.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$384 PEN 1,319

105.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$253 PEN 869

214.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$744 PEN 2,555

429.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$512 PEN 1,758

177.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,177 PEN 4,043

487.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$548 PEN 1,884

57.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.7

-26.32%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Trujillo

$253 29.2% 68.2% $541

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Trujillo

$204 23.5% 42.1% $148

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Trujillo

$111 12.8% 47.6% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Trujillo

$138 15.9% 25.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Trujillo

$79 9.2% 34% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Trujillo

$48 5.6% 44.7% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Trujillo

$33 3.9% 61.6% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $384 in Trujillo. 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 57% 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 $24.00 in Trujillo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $204 – making Trujillo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

06:44 6:44 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

314,939

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Trujillo 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Trujillo

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $867 in Trujillo – roughly 112% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,300 in Trujillo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 312% less in Trujillo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $107 in Trujillo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Trujillo, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Trujillo 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 $867 in Trujillo 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. 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.