Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Coco and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Coco and in Nosara: $1,756 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

85

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Coco
Learn more

Playa del Coco Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,756

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,756 per month in Playa del Coco vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Playa del Coco $1,756
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,784 per month in Playa del Coco vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Playa del Coco $2,784
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Playa del Coco vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Playa del Coco $3,812
Nosara $3,818

Playa del Coco is about 4% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Playa del Coco and Nosara sit above the global median – Playa del Coco by 30%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 ₡8,209

$12.35 ₡5,539

48.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ₡26.0K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 ₡4,740

$7.52 ₡3,373

40.56%

Cappuccino

$4.16 ₡1,866

$4.41 ₡1,978

-5.67%

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

$2.60 ₡1,167

$1.74 ₡780

49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₡726

$1.31 ₡587

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.28 ₡1,471

7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 ₡2,682

$4.47 ₡2,004

33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,067

$1.56 ₡701

52.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 ₡1,312

$3.02 ₡1,355

-2.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,136

$2.51 ₡1,125

0.80%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,598

$3.57 ₡1,603

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 ₡4,795

$7.43 ₡3,333

43.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 ₡4,588

$10.52 ₡4,717

-2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 ₡6,783

$13.97 ₡6,265

8.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ₡2,392

$2.35 ₡1,052

126.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₡650

$1.61 ₡720

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,726

$4.80 ₡2,152

-19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 ₡1,489

$1.61 ₡724

106.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 ₡1,486

$3.80 ₡1,703

-12.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,430

$3.69 ₡1,657

-13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ₡524

$1.13 ₡507

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₡1,341

$2.66 ₡1,191

12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 ₡2,631

$5.18 ₡2,321

13.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 ₡7,484

$19.88 ₡8,916

-16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 ₡1,182

$2.90 ₡1,300

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,192

$3.63 ₡1,626

-26.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 ₡596

$1.12 ₡504

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,065

$2.14 ₡958

11.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 ₡617

$1.57 ₡703

-12.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.15 ₡4,105

$8.52 ₡3,823

7.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡668

$1.52 ₡682

-1.97%

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

$23.4K ₡10.5M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

8.14%

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

$33.3K ₡14.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-3.56%

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

$94.4 ₡42.3K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-1.98%

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

$30.20 ₡13.5K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-15.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

9.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

11.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 ₡3,366

$7.89 ₡3,539

-4.82%

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

$726 ₡325.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

47.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₡7.8M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

47.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 ₡34.6K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

43.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 ₡24.4K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₡64.3K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

83.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 ₡55.7K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

55.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ₡330.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

-6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₡281.5K

$794 ₡356.2K

-20.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 ₡845.7K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-52.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 ₡564.4K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-11.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$330 ₡148.2K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-73.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 ₡339.3K

$864 ₡387.3K

-12.39%

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 Playa del Coco: 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

Playa del Coco

$628 35.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 26.5% $167

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Coco

$382 21.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 7.8% $30

Eating Out

Playa del Coco

$275 15.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 22.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Coco

$183 10.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 1.5% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Coco

$180 10.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 33.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Coco

$95 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 7.7% $7.3

Getting Around

Playa del Coco

$15 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 498% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Playa del Coco 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 14% 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 $58.0 in Playa del Coco versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Playa del Coco vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa del Coco

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

Same time as Playa del Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

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Playa del Coco Nosara 64 km

From you

Playa del Coco
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

Playa del Coco vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,756 in Playa del Coco, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,634 per month in Playa del Coco 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 Playa del Coco, 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 $58.0 in Playa del Coco 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 8% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Coco, where all-in costs run around $1,756, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Playa del Coco 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 $1,756 in Playa del Coco 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 Playa del Coco. 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.