Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Waling

For one person, living is cheaper in Waling: $325 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Waling
Learn more

Waling Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Waling

🇳🇵 Nepal

$325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Waling

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $325 in Waling, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Waling $325

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $532 in Waling, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Waling $532

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $739 in Waling, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Waling $739

Nosara costs about 465% more than Waling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Waling is 76% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.01 NPR 305

514.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$19.99 NPR 3,038

206.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.98 NPR 1,212

-5.76%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.54 NPR 234

186.36%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.54 NPR 81.3

222.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.15 NPR 23.24

773.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.14 NPR 476

4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.19 NPR 484

40.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.76 NPR 115

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.44 NPR 67.3

586.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.86 NPR 131

191.86%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.33 NPR 202

168.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.67 NPR 1,014

11.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.69 NPR 408

291.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$3.18 NPR 483

339.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.98 NPR 301

18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.75 NPR 114

114.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.34 NPR 204

258.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.53 NPR 80.9

203.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.35 NPR 52.4

985.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.38 NPR 57.7

871.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.48 NPR 73.6

135.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.19 NPR 28.35

1300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.46 NPR 373

110.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.25 NPR 797

278.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.21 NPR 336

31.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.92 NPR 443

24.32%

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

$1.81 NPR 275

18.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.19 NPR 181

31.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$3.21 NPR 488

165.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.39 NPR 212

9.35%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.1K NPR 4.4M

-25.74%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

-5.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$31.49 NPR 4,784

205.78%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$3.42 NPR 520

949.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$9.30 NPR 1,413

476.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$2.89 NPR 439

173.01%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$67.2 NPR 10.2K

635.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,498 NPR 835.3K

115.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$25.08 NPR 3,811

115.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$27.13 NPR 4,122

104.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$63.4 NPR 9,625

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$28.38 NPR 4,312

180.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,051 NPR 159.8K

557.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,240 NPR 188.5K

-1.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.72

-11.32%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Waling: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Waling

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Waling

$120 36.8% 66.1% $233

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Waling

$83 25.6% 60.7% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Waling

$44 13.6% 76.2% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Waling

$65 19.9% 46.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Waling

$5.8 * 1.8% 93.4% $82

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Waling

$7.8 * 2.4% 91.1% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $20.00 in Waling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $120 – making Waling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇵 Waling

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

04:27 4:27 AM

11 h 45 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

21,867

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Waling 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Waling

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 Waling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $325 in Waling – roughly 465% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $488 in Waling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $20.00 in Waling. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 195% 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 Waling, where all-in costs run around $325, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Waling 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 $325 in Waling 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 Waling. 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.