Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Turrialba

For one person, living is cheaper in Turrialba: $1,726 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Turrialba
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Turrialba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Turrialba

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Turrialba

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,726 in Turrialba, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Turrialba $1,726

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,753 in Turrialba, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Turrialba $2,753

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,779 in Turrialba, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Turrialba $3,779

Nosara costs about 6% more than Turrialba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Turrialba sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Turrialba by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$11.97 ₡5,370

3.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$60.9 ₡27.3K

0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.78 ₡5,283

-34.13%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.34 ₡1,946

2.30%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.75 ₡1,233

-34.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.94 ₡871

-33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.32 ₡1,488

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.40 ₡1,973

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.35 ₡1,052

-34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.06 ₡1,372

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.53 ₡1,134

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.60 ₡1,612

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.54 ₡4,726

-30.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$10.32 ₡4,630

-0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$14.16 ₡6,352

-0.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.07 ₡2,273

-54.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.57 ₡705

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.74 ₡2,124

1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.97 ₡1,782

-58.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.91 ₡1,754

-1.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.71 ₡1,663

1.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.13 ₡505

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$3.19 ₡1,431

-18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$6.07 ₡2,724

-15.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$20.24 ₡9,076

-1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.84 ₡1,274

-1.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.60 ₡1,613

-2.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.28 ₡574

-4.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.45 ₡1,101

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.57 ₡704

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$8.80 ₡3,948

-1.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.50 ₡671

3.33%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.2K ₡10.0M

55.32%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$34.6K ₡15.5M

12.15%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$96.4 ₡43.2K

-1.66%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$35.27 ₡15.8K

2.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$59.2 ₡26.5K

-10.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$73.7 ₡33.0K

0.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.87 ₡3,527

0.51%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$993 ₡445.3K

-50.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.3K ₡7.8M

-31.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$72.0 ₡32.3K

-23.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$56.4 ₡25.3K

-0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$128 ₡57.5K

-37.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$134 ₡60.1K

-41.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$808 ₡362.3K

-0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$626 ₡280.7K

26.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,870 ₡838.7K

114.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,287 ₡577.2K

9.50%

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 Turrialba: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Turrialba

$626 36.3% 20.7% $164

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Turrialba

$402 23.3% 14.9% $52

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Turrialba

$227 13.2% 6.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Turrialba

$191 11.1% 3.7% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Turrialba

$176 10.2% 45.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Turrialba

$89 5.2% 0.2% $0.2

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Turrialba

$15 * 0.9% 82.6% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $808 in Turrialba. 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 $61.0 in Turrialba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $402 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 Turrialba

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

27,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Turrialba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,726 in Turrialba – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,589 in Turrialba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Turrialba, 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 $61.0 in Turrialba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Turrialba, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Turrialba 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 $1,726 in Turrialba 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 Turrialba. 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.