Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Vilcabamba: $973 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
Learn more

Vilcabamba Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$973

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Vilcabamba

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $973 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Vilcabamba $973

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,431 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Vilcabamba $1,431

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,889 in Vilcabamba, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Vilcabamba $1,889

Nosara costs about 89% more than Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Vilcabamba is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$3.40 $3.40

259.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$29.83 $29.83

101.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.79 $7.79

-3.21%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.11 $2.11

104.27%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.02 $1.02

68.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.03 $1.03

31.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.02 $2.02

60.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.41 $3.41

31.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.04 $1.04

50.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.60 $1.60

98.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.55 $1.55

56.13%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.61 $2.61

36.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.33 $8.33

-10.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$5.28 $5.28

97.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.31 $7.31

86.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.70 $1.70

36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.07 $1.07

50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.15 $1.15

312.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.13 $1.13

46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.99 $0.99

275.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.08 $1.08

230.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.69 $0.69

59.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.97 $0.97

162.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.30 $5.30

-6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.18 $11.18

78.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.63 $1.63

71.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.73 $2.73

29.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.36 $0.36

230.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$17.70 $17.70

307.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.33 $1.33

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.08 $1.08

43.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$9.99 $9.99

-11.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.69 $0.69

127.54%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$20.6K $20.6K

5.81%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$29.5K $29.5K

17.51%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$36.96 $36.96

152.84%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$13.21 $13.21

165.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$35.35 $35.35

45.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$29.52 $29.52

141.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$16.30 $16.30

117.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.96 $6.96

12.64%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$218 $218

124.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,039 $6,039

96.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$54.2 $54.2

-1.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$42.22 $42.22

32.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$100.0 $100.0

-20.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$69.4 $69.4

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$376 $376

108.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$389 $389

100.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$622 $622

520.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$579 $579

142.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,212 $1,212

475.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$764 $764

57.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$457 $457

91.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

10.05

-14.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Vilcabamba

$389 40.4% 50.2% $391

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Vilcabamba

$197 20.5% 43.6% $152

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Vilcabamba

$101 10.5% 51.8% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Vilcabamba

$86 8.9% 52.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Vilcabamba

$120 12.4% 0.6% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.5% 50.1% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Vilcabamba

$26 2.7% 70.2% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $376 in Vilcabamba. 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 92% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $30.00 in Vilcabamba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $197 – making Vilcabamba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

01:17 1:17 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Vilcabamba 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Vilcabamba

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 Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $973 in Vilcabamba – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,460 in Vilcabamba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 307% less in Vilcabamba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $218 in Vilcabamba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vilcabamba, where all-in costs run around $973, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Vilcabamba 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 $973 in Vilcabamba to $1,837 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 Vilcabamba. 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.