Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perez Zeledon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Perez Zeledon: $1,328 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Perez Zeledon
Learn more

Perez Zeledon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Perez Zeledon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,328

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,328 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $1,328
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $2,371
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,414 per month in Perez Zeledon vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Perez Zeledon $3,414
Nosara $3,814

Perez Zeledon is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Perez Zeledon sits 2% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.34 ₡4,188

$12.34 ₡5,535

-24.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.62 ₡16.4K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-40.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 ₡3,689

$7.76 ₡3,481

6.06%

Cappuccino

$2.70 ₡1,210

$4.44 ₡1,992

-39.19%

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

$1.96 ₡880

$1.79 ₡803

9.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₡766

$1.29 ₡580

32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₡804

$3.24 ₡1,451

-44.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$4.43 ₡1,985

-30.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.55 ₡696

5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₡1,357

$3.08 ₡1,380

-1.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,109

$2.53 ₡1,133

-2.37%

Eggs

$2.48 ₡1,113

$3.45 ₡1,546

-28.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ₡4,763

$7.32 ₡3,284

45.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₡4,646

$10.24 ₡4,594

1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 ₡6,196

$14.10 ₡6,326

-1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 ₡2,238

$2.29 ₡1,027

117.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.64 ₡737

-34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.85 ₡2,174

$4.79 ₡2,149

1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 ₡1,777

$1.64 ₡735

141.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,730

$3.85 ₡1,727

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 ₡1,693

$3.75 ₡1,681

0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 ₡205

$1.09 ₡488

-57.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₡1,441

$2.59 ₡1,160

23.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 ₡2,582

$5.12 ₡2,295

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.78 ₡8,870

$19.92 ₡8,931

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,240

$2.80 ₡1,255

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₡1,572

$3.52 ₡1,580

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ₡344

$1.22 ₡549

-36.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.17 ₡973

15.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.56 ₡698

3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 ₡3,952

$8.67 ₡3,886

1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡689

$1.55 ₡697

-0.65%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-35.42%

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

$34.8K ₡15.6M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-10.29%

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

$92.9 ₡41.7K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-2.04%

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

$23.91 ₡10.7K

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-33.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 ₡26.3K

$53.1 ₡23.8K

10.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 ₡32.5K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-1.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 ₡3,346

$7.91 ₡3,548

-5.69%

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

$508 ₡227.7K

$490 ₡219.9K

3.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 ₡32.7K

$54.8 ₡24.6K

33.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 ₡25.5K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

61.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.1K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

66.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₡180.0K

$801 ₡359.1K

-49.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ₡149.4K

$790 ₡354.1K

-57.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 ₡851.1K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-52.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 ₡564.0K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-10.77%

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 Perez Zeledon: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Perez Zeledon

$382 28.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 8.5% $32

Accommodation & Living

Perez Zeledon

$333 25.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 137% $456

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perez Zeledon

$176 13.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 4.9% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Perez Zeledon

$175 13.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 30.8% $54

Eating Out

Perez Zeledon

$162 12.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 31.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Perez Zeledon

$87 6.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 2.6% $2.3

Getting Around

Perez Zeledon

$14 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 553% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Perez Zeledon 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 $37.00 in Perez Zeledon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Perez Zeledon vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Perez Zeledon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

Same time as Perez Zeledon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,000

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Perez Zeledon Nosara 240 km

From you

Perez Zeledon
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

Perez Zeledon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,328 in Perez Zeledon, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,992 per month in Perez Zeledon 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 Perez Zeledon, 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 $37.00 in Perez Zeledon 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 9% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perez Zeledon, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Perez Zeledon 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 $1,328 in Perez Zeledon 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 Perez Zeledon. 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.