Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tunja

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunja: $1,294 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Tunja
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Tunja Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tunja

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tunja

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,294 in Tunja, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tunja $1,294

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,992 in Tunja, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tunja $1,992

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,689 in Tunja, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tunja $2,689

Nosara costs about 42% more than Tunja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Tunja is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.61 COP 24.1K

62.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$41.83 COP 132.6K

46.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.53 COP 33.4K

-28.58%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.56 COP 8,122

72.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.38 COP 4,380

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.84 COP 2,661

55.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.09 COP 6,614

56.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.81 COP 12.1K

17.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.60 COP 5,075

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.48 COP 7,874

21.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.63 COP 5,169

53.99%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.35 COP 10.6K

6.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.90 COP 25.0K

-5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.52 COP 23.9K

39.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.94 COP 31.5K

40.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.48 COP 11.0K

-32.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.76 COP 5,590

-8.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.90 COP 6,028

152.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.74 COP 5,527

-7.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.47 COP 4,673

158.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.41 COP 4,471

161.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.31 COP 4,152

-13.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.15 COP 3,654

131.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.36 COP 13.8K

18.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.70 COP 40.3K

56.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.44 COP 4,559

101.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.93 COP 9,295

23.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.80 COP 2,541

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.96 COP 3,042

122.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.32 COP 7,352

-32.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.59 COP 30.4K

-11.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.28 COP 4,067

18.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.8K COP 75.4M

-9.08%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.4K COP 112.4M

-2.63%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$123 COP 391.0K

-21.91%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.02 COP 50.8K

124.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.03 COP 95.2K

78.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$36.92 COP 117.0K

93.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.75 COP 24.6K

1.81%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$499 COP 1.6M

-0.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,621 COP 24.2M

55.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$83.2 COP 263.8K

-35.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$47.16 COP 149.5K

17.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$145 COP 458.5K

-46.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$105 COP 334.4K

-24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$642 COP 2.0M

22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$475 COP 1.5M

67.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,022 COP 3.2M

285.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$882 COP 2.8M

60.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,682 COP 5.3M

310.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,710 COP 5.4M

-28.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.81

-32.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tunja: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tunja

$475 36.7% 40.2% $320

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tunja

$261 20.2% 25.9% $91

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tunja

$150 11.6% 29.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tunja

$169 13.1% 8.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tunja

$171 13.2% 42.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tunja

$52 4.1% 40% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tunja

$16 * 1.2% 81.9% $71

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 $642 in Tunja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $42.00 in Tunja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $261 – making Tunja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇴 Tunja

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

05:42 5:42 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

200,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Tunja 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tunja

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 Tunja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,294 in Tunja – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,942 in Tunja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tunja, 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 $42.00 in Tunja. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tunja, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tunja 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 $1,294 in Tunja 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 Tunja. 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.