Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perast and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Perast: $1,258 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Perast
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,258
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,258 per month in Perast vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Perast $1,258
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,957 per month in Perast vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Perast $1,957
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,655 per month in Perast vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Perast $2,655
  • Nosara $3,814

Perast is about 31% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Perast sits 7% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perast
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.01 €9.79
$12.34 ₡5,535
-10.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.56 €31.63
$61.3 ₡27.5K
-42.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.91 €7.92
$7.76 ₡3,481
14.82%
Cappuccino
$2.20 €1.96
$4.44 ₡1,992
-50.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 €2.19
$1.79 ₡803
37.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.29 ₡580
13.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.87 €2.55
$3.24 ₡1,451
-11.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 €3.00
$4.43 ₡1,985
-23.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perast
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.55 ₡696
-22.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 €0.90
$3.08 ₡1,380
-67.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.53 ₡1,133
-21.74%
Eggs
$3.10 €2.76
$3.45 ₡1,546
-10.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.73 €7.77
$7.32 ₡3,284
19.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.26 €6.46
$10.24 ₡4,594
-29.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.17 €10.83
$14.10 ₡6,326
-13.69%
Apples (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$2.29 ₡1,027
-41.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.64 ₡737
-8.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.62 €1.44
$4.79 ₡2,149
-66.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.64 ₡735
39.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 €0.82
$3.85 ₡1,727
-76.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 €0.91
$3.75 ₡1,681
-72.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 €1.34
$1.09 ₡488
38.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 €0.69
$2.59 ₡1,160
-69.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 €3.53
$5.12 ₡2,295
-22.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.38 €3.89
$19.92 ₡8,931
-78.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.80 ₡1,255
-61.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.52
$3.52 ₡1,580
-51.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Perast
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.22 ₡549
35.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.32 €34.09
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-48.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.76 €0.68
$2.17 ₡973
-64.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.75 €0.66
$1.56 ₡698
-51.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.25 €10.00
$8.67 ₡3,886
29.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.55 ₡697
12.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K €27.5K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-10.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K €18.8K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-45.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perast
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$128 €114
$94.8 ₡42.5K
35.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.17 €11.72
$36.15 ₡16.2K
-63.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.32 €27.86
$53.1 ₡23.8K
-40.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perast
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.90 €40.82
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-37.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.74 €13.11
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-58.63%
Cinema Ticket
$6.46 €5.75
$7.91 ₡3,548
-18.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perast
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$345 €306
$490 ₡219.9K
-29.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,066 €6,285
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-40.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perast
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.1 €75.7
$54.8 ₡24.6K
55.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.04 €30.28
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-39.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 €64.6
$80.4 ₡36.0K
-9.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.0 €84.5
$77.9 ₡34.9K
21.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perast
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$651 €579
$801 ₡359.1K
-18.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$457 €407
$790 ₡354.1K
-42.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 €1,136
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-68.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$913 €812
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-35.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,319 €2,953
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-53.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,347 €2,088
$1,236 ₡554.3K
89.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perast
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$887 ₡397.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
8.62
-42.00%

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

Last update for Perast: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perast
$457
Nosara
$790 72.7% $332
Groceries & Markets
Perast
$213
Nosara
$350 64.2% $137
Eating Out
Perast
$178
Nosara
$213 19.5% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perast
$173
Nosara
$184 6.5% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Perast
$129
Nosara
$121 6.2% $8
Sport & Entertainment
Perast
$59
Nosara
$90 52.3% $31
Getting Around
Perast
$49
Nosara
$89 79.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $651 in Perast 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 $36.00 in Perast versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $350 – making Perast the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇪 Perast
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
23:57 11:57 PM
15:57 3:57 PM
8 h behind Perast
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
350
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perast Nosara 10,410 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Perast
  • 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
Perast vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Perast and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,258 in Perast, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Perast compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,887 per month in Perast and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Perast and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Perast, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Perast and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 93% less in Perast. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Perast and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $345 per month in Perast and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Perast, where all-in costs run around $1,258, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Perast it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Perast and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,258 in Perast to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Perast 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 Perast and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Perast. 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.

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