Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasto and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $799 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$799

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $799 per month in Pasto vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Pasto $799
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,210 per month in Pasto vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Pasto $1,210
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,622 per month in Pasto vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Pasto $1,622
Nosara $3,818

Pasto is about 57% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pasto sits 41% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.79 COP 75.4K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-61.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 COP 23.7K

$7.52 ₡3,373

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$1.56 COP 4,934

$4.41 ₡1,978

-64.63%

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

$0.86 COP 2,724

$1.74 ₡780

-50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 1,943

$1.31 ₡587

-53.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 COP 3,666

$3.28 ₡1,471

-64.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 COP 6,968

$4.47 ₡2,004

-50.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,464

$1.56 ₡701

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,088

$3.02 ₡1,355

-57.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,744

$2.51 ₡1,125

-52.99%

Eggs

$2.14 COP 6,771

$3.57 ₡1,603

-40.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.61 COP 14.6K

$7.43 ₡3,333

-37.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 COP 16.7K

$10.52 ₡4,717

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 COP 23.1K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-47.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 COP 7,748

$2.35 ₡1,052

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 COP 3,302

$1.61 ₡720

-35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,108

$4.80 ₡2,152

-72.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,379

$1.61 ₡724

-33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,648

$3.80 ₡1,703

-69.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,586

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 COP 2,537

$1.13 ₡507

-29.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,041

$2.66 ₡1,191

-75.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 COP 7,509

$5.18 ₡2,321

-54.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 COP 31.1K

$19.88 ₡8,916

-50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,443

$2.90 ₡1,300

-62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 COP 5,599

$3.63 ₡1,626

-51.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,271

$1.12 ₡504

-35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.39 COP 96.4K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 COP 4,532

$2.14 ₡958

-33.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,688

$1.57 ₡703

14.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 COP 18.9K

$8.52 ₡3,823

-29.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 2,958

$1.52 ₡682

-38.82%

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

$18.1K COP 57.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-16.45%

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

$25.7K COP 81.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.41%

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

$83.4 COP 264.4K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-13.40%

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

$8.89 COP 28.2K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-75.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.38 COP 71.0K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-58.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.02 COP 73.0K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-67.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 12.3K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-50.70%

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

$235 COP 744.6K

$494 ₡221.6K

-52.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,071 COP 19.2M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-48.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 COP 185.6K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

8.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 COP 103.4K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-41.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 COP 261.4K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 COP 227.6K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 COP 851.9K

$788 ₡353.4K

-65.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 COP 751.4K

$794 ₡356.2K

-70.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 COP 1.7M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 COP 1.3M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-70.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,429 COP 4.5M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-79.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 COP 3.4M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-12.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

8.62

51.51%

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

Last update for Pasto: 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

Pasto

$237 29.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 235% $557

Groceries & Markets

Pasto

$173 21.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 103% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasto

$115 14.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 62% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Pasto

$110 13.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 8.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Pasto

$89 11.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 138% $123

Getting Around

Pasto

$44 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 99.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Pasto

$31 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 184% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in Pasto 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Pasto versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $352 – making Pasto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Pasto

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h behind Pasto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

392,930

4,912

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pasto Nosara 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pasto
Nosara

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

Pasto vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $799 in Pasto, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 130% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,198 per month in Pasto 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 Pasto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 139% less in Pasto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $235 per month in Pasto and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pasto, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pasto 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 $799 in Pasto 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 Pasto. 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.