Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tumon

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumon: $429 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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

$1,835

/mo nomad

Tumon

🇬🇺 Guam

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tumon

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $429 in Tumon, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Tumon $429

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,002 in Tumon, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Tumon $2,002

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,574 in Tumon, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Tumon $3,574

Nosara costs about 328% more than Tumon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Tumon is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$25.37 $25.37

-51.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$51.7 $51.7

18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.95 $12.95

-40.08%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$6.01 $6.01

-26.12%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.05 $3.05

-41.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$3.03 $3.03

-57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.12 $7.12

-54.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$8.88 $8.88

-50.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$6.87 $6.87

-82.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.94 $1.94

-19.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$29.1K $29.1K

33.05%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

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

$490 ₡219.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,433 $2,433

-42.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Tumon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Tumon

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Tumon

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Tumon

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Tumon

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Tumon

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Tumon

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Tumon

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $52.0 in Tumon. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇺 Tumon

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

05:54 5:54 AM

16 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

44,943

💱 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 = 0.89 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Tumon 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tumon

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 Tumon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $429 in Tumon – roughly 328% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $643 in Tumon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Nosara and $429 in Tumon. That's a gap of about 328%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $52.0 in Tumon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tumon, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Tumon 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 $429 in Tumon to $1,835 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 Tumon. 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.