Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Villa María

For one person, living is cheaper in Villa María: $1,245 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Villa María
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Villa María Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Villa María

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Villa María

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,245 in Villa María, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Villa María $1,245

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,044 in Villa María, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Villa María $2,044

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,842 in Villa María, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Villa María $2,842

Nosara costs about 48% more than Villa María, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Villa María is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.53 ARS 22.1K

-15.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$57.4 ARS 87.2K

6.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$14.75 ARS 22.4K

-49.02%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.29 ARS 6,517

2.80%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.03 ARS 3,079

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.62 ARS 2,462

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.09 ARS 6,212

-19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.42 ARS 6,712

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.17 ARS 1,770

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.92 ARS 2,917

57.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.71 ARS 2,596

46.78%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.80 ARS 4,251

27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.42 ARS 15.8K

-28.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.56 ARS 11.5K

39.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.07 ARS 19.8K

6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.17 ARS 3,296

8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.52 ARS 3,819

-36.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.46 ARS 2,213

228.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.35 ARS 3,572

-31.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.10 ARS 1,666

245.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.90 ARS 1,360

310.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.52 ARS 2,308

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.42 ARS 5,188

51.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.70 ARS 7,139

322.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.76 ARS 2,672

64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.64 ARS 5,516

-0.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.93 ARS 1,407

20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.41 ARS 2,145

51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.17 ARS 1,779

29.91%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.4K ARS 43.1M

-23.96%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.1K ARS 44.1M

18.73%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$121 ARS 183.0K

-20.14%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.55 ARS 25.1K

116.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.71 ARS 36.0K

126.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$27.73 ARS 42.1K

158.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.42 ARS 15.8K

-24.28%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$297 ARS 450.7K

66.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$91.4 ARS 138.7K

-40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$132 ARS 200.5K

-41.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$132 ARS 199.9K

-39.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$452 ARS 686.0K

74.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$365 ARS 553.7K

117.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$933 ARS 1.4M

322.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$819 ARS 1.2M

73.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Villa María: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Villa María

$365 29.3% 54.1% $429

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Villa María

$250 * 20.1% 29.2% $103

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Villa María

$256 20.6% 20.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Villa María

$161 12.9% 13.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Villa María

$160 * 12.8% 33.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Villa María

$49 3.9% 44.4% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Villa María

$5.1 * 0.4% 94.1% $82

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 $452 in Villa María. 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 $57.0 in Villa María. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $250 – making Villa María the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇷 Villa María

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

22:30 10:30 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

80,006

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, 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).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Villa María 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Villa María

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 Villa María: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,245 in Villa María – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,867 in Villa María. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Villa María, 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 $57.0 in Villa María. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Villa María, where all-in costs run around $1,245, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Villa María 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 $1,245 in Villa María 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 Villa María. 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.