Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palma Soriano and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Palma Soriano: $1,552 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palma Soriano
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Palma Soriano Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Palma Soriano

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,552

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,552 per month in Palma Soriano vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Palma Soriano $1,552
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,866 per month in Palma Soriano vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Palma Soriano $1,866
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,180 per month in Palma Soriano vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Palma Soriano $2,180
Nosara $3,818

Palma Soriano is about 16% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Palma Soriano and Nosara sit above the global median – Palma Soriano by 15%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 CUP 121

$12.35 ₡5,539

-59.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.36 CUP 609

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-58.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 CUP 124

$7.52 ₡3,373

-31.52%

Cappuccino

$3.11 CUP 74.6

$4.41 ₡1,978

-29.48%

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

$1.29 CUP 30.86

$1.74 ₡780

-25.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 CUP 21.94

$1.31 ₡587

-30.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 CUP 72.9

$3.28 ₡1,471

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CUP 58.0

$4.47 ₡2,004

-45.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CUP 47.48

$1.56 ₡701

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 CUP 35.65

$3.02 ₡1,355

-50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$2.51 ₡1,125

-60.96%

Eggs

$1.17 CUP 28.04

$3.57 ₡1,603

-67.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.12 CUP 147

$7.43 ₡3,333

-17.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 CUP 146

$10.52 ₡4,717

-42.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 CUP 266

$13.97 ₡6,265

-20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 CUP 43.94

$2.35 ₡1,052

-22.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CUP 28.45

$1.61 ₡720

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 CUP 35.60

$4.80 ₡2,152

-69.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 CUP 35.35

$1.61 ₡724

-8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$3.80 ₡1,703

-74.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.33

$3.69 ₡1,657

-73.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.33

$1.13 ₡507

-10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CUP 25.83

$2.66 ₡1,191

-59.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 CUP 70.9

$5.18 ₡2,321

-43.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 CUP 242

$19.88 ₡8,916

-49.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 73.9

$2.90 ₡1,300

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 CUP 48.75

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 CUP 6.26

$1.12 ₡504

-76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.79 CUP 715

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 CUP 44.30

$2.14 ₡958

-13.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 CUP 8.74

$1.57 ₡703

-77.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 CUP 314

$8.52 ₡3,823

53.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CUP 28.37

$1.52 ₡682

-22.37%

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

$66.0K CUP 1.6M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

205.25%

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

$47.3K CUP 1.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

37.15%

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

$55.4 CUP 1,331

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-42.42%

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

$10.01 CUP 240

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-72.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 CUP 3,590

$53.6 ₡24.0K

179.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.30 CUP 967

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-43.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.06 CUP 242

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-71.18%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.64

$7.89 ₡3,539

-86.95%

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

$100 CUP 2,402

$494 ₡221.6K

-79.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CUP 292.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

2.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 CUP 1,530

$53.9 ₡24.2K

18.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.61 CUP 855

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-35.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 CUP 2,019

$77.9 ₡34.9K

7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CUP 2,647

$79.6 ₡35.7K

38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 CUP 21.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 CUP 18.9K

$794 ₡356.2K

-0.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 CUP 17.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 CUP 15.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-54.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$323 CUP 7,745

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-95.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$326 CUP 7,826

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-73.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$40.28 CUP 967

$864 ₡387.3K

-95.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

8.62

-3.36%

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

Last update for Palma Soriano: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palma Soriano

$790 50.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 0.6% $4.7

Groceries & Markets

Palma Soriano

$216 13.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 62.9% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palma Soriano

$215 13.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 13.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Palma Soriano

$132 8.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.1% $12

Eating Out

Palma Soriano

$122 7.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 73.7% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Palma Soriano

$42 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 106% $45

Getting Around

Palma Soriano

$35 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 153% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $896 in Palma Soriano versus $788 in Nosara. 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 2044% 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 $25.00 in Palma Soriano versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $352 – making Palma Soriano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Palma Soriano

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

13:30 1:30 PM

2 h behind Palma Soriano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,930

4,912

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

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).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palma Soriano Nosara 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Palma Soriano
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Palma Soriano vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,552 in Palma Soriano, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,328 per month in Palma Soriano and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 144% less in Palma Soriano. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $100 per month in Palma Soriano and $494 in Nosara. 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 Palma Soriano, where all-in costs run around $1,552, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Palma Soriano 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 $1,552 in Palma Soriano 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 Palma Soriano. 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.