Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ojochal and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ojochal: $1,687 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

82

Cost of Living Index in Ojochal
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Ojochal Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ojochal

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,687

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ojochal and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ojochal and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Ojochal vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Ojochal $1,687
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,675 per month in Ojochal vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Ojochal $2,675
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,664 per month in Ojochal vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Ojochal $3,664
Nosara $3,814

Ojochal is about 8% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ojochal and Nosara sit above the global median – Ojochal by 25%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 ₡5,338

$12.34 ₡5,535

-3.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 ₡25.7K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-6.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 ₡5,161

$7.76 ₡3,481

48.32%

Cappuccino

$4.16 ₡1,865

$4.44 ₡1,992

-6.31%

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

$2.65 ₡1,186

$1.79 ₡803

48.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₡839

$1.29 ₡580

44.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,505

$3.24 ₡1,451

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₡1,963

$4.43 ₡1,985

-1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₡1,051

$1.55 ₡696

50.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 ₡1,247

$3.08 ₡1,380

-9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,123

$2.53 ₡1,133

-1.19%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,527

$3.45 ₡1,546

-1.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ₡4,856

$7.32 ₡3,284

47.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,758

$10.24 ₡4,594

3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 ₡6,217

$14.10 ₡6,326

-1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 ₡2,339

$2.29 ₡1,027

127.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₡732

$1.64 ₡737

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₡1,467

$4.79 ₡2,149

-31.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.64 ₡735

110.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,339

$3.85 ₡1,727

-22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ₡1,370

$3.75 ₡1,681

-18.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.09 ₡488

2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,197

$2.59 ₡1,160

3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 ₡2,508

$5.12 ₡2,295

9.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 ₡7,281

$19.92 ₡8,931

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₡1,150

$2.80 ₡1,255

-8.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₡1,209

$3.52 ₡1,580

-23.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡604

$1.22 ₡549

10.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$2.17 ₡973

11.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 ₡733

$1.56 ₡698

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 ₡3,921

$8.67 ₡3,886

0.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡673

$1.55 ₡697

-3.23%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-37.50%

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

$35.4K ₡15.9M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-8.57%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

0.44%

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

$29.51 ₡13.2K

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-18.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 ₡26.6K

$53.1 ₡23.8K

11.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 ₡32.4K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-2.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 ₡3,470

$7.91 ₡3,548

-2.15%

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

$851 ₡381.6K

$490 ₡219.9K

73.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 ₡32.5K

$54.8 ₡24.6K

32.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 ₡25.1K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡57.9K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

60.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

69.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 ₡364.3K

$801 ₡359.1K

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 ₡282.8K

$790 ₡354.1K

-20.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,880 ₡843.1K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-53.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₡572.5K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-9.42%

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 Ojochal: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ojochal

$631 37.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 25.2% $159

Groceries & Markets

Ojochal

$370 22%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 5.6% $21

Eating Out

Ojochal

$223 13.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 4.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ojochal

$184 10.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ojochal

$175 10.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 31% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Ojochal

$88 5.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 2.2% $2

Getting Around

Ojochal

$16 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 455% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $812 in Ojochal versus $801 in Nosara. 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 $57.0 in Ojochal versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $370 in Ojochal vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Ojochal

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Ojochal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,540

4,912

💱 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

Ojochal vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,687 in Ojochal, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,531 per month in Ojochal and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ojochal, 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 $57.0 in Ojochal and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ojochal, where all-in costs run around $1,687, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Ojochal 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 $1,687 in Ojochal 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 Ojochal. 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.