For one person, living is cheaper in Pec: $665 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pec and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $665 per month in Pec vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.
Pec $665
Nosara $1,839
A couple spends around $1,078 per month in Pec vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.
Pec $1,078
Nosara $2,828
A family of three spends $1,490 per month in Pec vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.
Pec $1,490
Nosara $3,818
🙂
Pec is about 64% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Pec sits 51% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Pec
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.52€4.91
$12.35₡5,539
-55.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.36€19.89
$61.2₡27.4K
-63.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.33€3.85
$7.52₡3,373
-42.42%
Cappuccino
$1.32€1.18
$4.41₡1,978
-70.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56€1.39
$1.74₡780
-10.34%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05€0.94
$1.31₡587
-19.85%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.96€1.74
$3.28₡1,471
-40.24%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77€2.46
$4.47₡2,004
-38.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pec
Nosara
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.28€1.13
$1.56₡701
-17.95%
White Bread(500g)
$0.63€0.56
$3.02₡1,355
-79.14%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.32€1.17
$2.51₡1,125
-47.41%
Eggs
$1.81€1.61
$3.57₡1,603
-49.30%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.63€6.78
$7.43₡3,333
2.69%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.50€5.78
$10.52₡4,717
-38.21%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.30€10.94
$13.97₡6,265
-11.95%
Apples(1kg)
$1.43€1.27
$2.35₡1,052
-39.15%
Banana(1kg)
$1.42€1.27
$1.61₡720
-11.80%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.11€0.98
$4.80₡2,152
-76.88%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.69€1.51
$1.61₡724
4.97%
Potato(1kg)
$0.90€0.80
$3.80₡1,703
-76.32%
Onion(1kg)
$0.87€0.77
$3.69₡1,657
-76.42%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.79€0.71
$1.13₡507
-30.09%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50€0.44
$2.66₡1,191
-81.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.84€2.53
$5.18₡2,321
-45.17%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.56€4.94
$19.88₡8,916
-72.03%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88€0.79
$2.90₡1,300
-69.66%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19€1.06
$3.63₡1,626
-67.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Pec
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$1.12₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$72.6₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.19€1.94
$2.14₡958
2.34%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.55€0.49
$1.57₡703
-64.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.30€2.94
$8.52₡3,823
-61.27%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.42€1.26
$1.52₡682
-6.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K€19.8K
$21.6K₡9.7M
3.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K€23.3K
$34.5K₡15.5M
-24.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pec
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$104€92.3
$96.3₡43.2K
7.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.14€9.91
$35.89₡16.1K
-68.96%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.36€20.78
$53.6₡24.0K
-56.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pec
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$21.87€19.46
$71.6₡32.1K
-69.45%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.79€30.06
$34.91₡15.7K
-3.21%
Cinema Ticket
$4.56€4.06
$7.89₡3,539
-42.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pec
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$150€133
$494₡221.6K
-69.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,954€2,627
$11.9K₡5.3M
-75.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pec
Nosara
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.97€37.33
$53.9₡24.2K
-22.19%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.42€25.28
$55.4₡24.8K
-48.71%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$63.6€56.6
$77.9₡34.9K
-18.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.5€72.5
$79.6₡35.7K
2.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pec
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$167€149
$788₡353.4K
-78.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$111€98.7
$794₡356.2K
-86.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$335€298
$3,939₡1.8M
-91.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$277€247
$1,419₡636.5K
-80.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,251€1,112
$6,912₡3.1M
-81.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,043€928
$1,224₡549.0K
-14.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pec
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$471€419
$864₡387.3K
-45.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.5
8.62
-47.80%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Pec: October 12, 2026
Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pec
$184 27.7%
Nosara
$352 19.2% ↑ 91.4%$168
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pec
$138 20.8%
Nosara
$186 10.1% ↑ 34.4%$48
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pec
$111 16.7%
Nosara
$794 43.2% ↑ 616%$683
🍽Eating Out
Pec
$99 14.9%
Nosara
$212 11.5% ↑ 114%$113
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pec
$97 14.6%
Nosara
$120 6.5% ↑ 23.9%$23
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pec
$31 4.7%
Nosara
$87 4.8% ↑ 182%$56
🚌Getting Around
Pec
$4.9 * 0.7%
Nosara
$87 4.7% ↑ 1667%$82
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pec
$435 29.2%
Nosara
$790 20.7% ↑ 81.6%$355
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pec
$149 10%
Nosara
$222 5.8% ↑ 48.4%$72
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pec
$277 18.6%
Nosara
$1.4K 37.2% ↑ 412%$1.1K
🍽Eating Out
Pec
$307 20.6%
Nosara
$734 19.2% ↑ 139%$427
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pec
$215 14.5%
Nosara
$267 7% ↑ 23.9%$51
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pec
$96 6.4%
Nosara
$210 5.5% ↑ 119%$114
🚌Getting Around
Pec
$9.9 * 0.7%
Nosara
$176 4.6% ↑ 1690%$167
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $167 in Pec 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 84% 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 $22.00 in Pec versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $352 – making Pec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Pec vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Pec and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $665 in Pec, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 177% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Pec compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $997 per month in Pec and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Pec and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pec, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Pec and $61.0 in Nosara. 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 91% 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 Pec, where all-in costs run around $665, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Pec and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $665 in Pec to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Pec or Nosara 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 Pec and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Pec. 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.