Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Villarrica

For one person, living is cheaper in Villarrica: $1,008 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Villarrica
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,008
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Villarrica

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,008 in Villarrica, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Villarrica $1,008

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,288 in Villarrica, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Villarrica $1,288

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,567 in Villarrica, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Villarrica $1,567

Nosara costs about 82% more than Villarrica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Villarrica is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$6.96 ₲39.6K
77.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$20.82 ₲118.4K
193.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$7.06 ₲40.1K
6.52%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.47 ₲19.7K
27.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$1.06 ₲6,033
64.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$0.61 ₲3,446
114.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$1.45 ₲8,246
126.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$1.28 ₲7,265
249.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.20 ₲6,796
30.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.27 ₲7,200
137.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.39 ₲7,932
80.58%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.05 ₲11.7K
74.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$9.44 ₲53.7K
-21.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$4.11 ₲23.4K
155.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$10.08 ₲57.3K
38.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$3.09 ₲17.6K
-23.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.25 ₲7,128
28.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$1.20 ₲6,848
300.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.51 ₲14.3K
-35.86%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.34 ₲7,624
183.58%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$0.79 ₲4,487
367.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$0.91 ₲5,184
24.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.67 ₲3,821
297.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$1.20 ₲6,796
331.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$9.23 ₲52.5K
115.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$0.70 ₲3,971
314.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.74 ₲9,922
108.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$1.49 ₲8,453
43.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.56 ₲8,894
0.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$5.39 ₲30.7K
58.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.29 ₲7,355
17.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$17.3K ₲98.2M
25.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$35.3K ₲200.6M
-2.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$31.33 ₲178.2K
207.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$17.82 ₲101.3K
101.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$22.61 ₲128.5K
137.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$34.47 ₲196.0K
107.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$3.42 ₲19.4K
920.76%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$8.59 ₲48.8K
-8.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$44.78 ₲254.6K
1003.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$5,804 ₲33.0M
104.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$64.9 ₲369.0K
-16.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$58.0 ₲329.8K
-4.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$109 ₲621.3K
-28.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$71.1 ₲404.3K
11.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$404 ₲2.3M
96.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$269 ₲1.5M
1366.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$209 ₲1.2M
578.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Villarrica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$566 ₲3.2M
52.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
10.15
-15.07%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Villarrica: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Villarrica
$404 49.2% $391
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Villarrica
$201 43.1% $152
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Villarrica
$135 36.3% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Villarrica
$72 61.4% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Villarrica
$136 13.6% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Villarrica
$52 40.9% $36
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Villarrica
$9.3 * 89.3% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 52% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $21.00 in Villarrica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $201 – making Villarrica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇵🇾 Villarrica
🕒 Local time
18:27 6:27 PM
21:27 9:27 PM
3 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
73,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Villarrica 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Villarrica

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 Villarrica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Villarrica compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,008 in Villarrica – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Villarrica?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,513 in Villarrica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $21.00 in Villarrica. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 76% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Villarrica, where all-in costs run around $1,008, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Villarrica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Villarrica?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,008 in Villarrica to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Villarrica safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Villarrica?
If budget matters most, go with Villarrica. 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.

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