Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa Flamingo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa Flamingo: $1,686 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Playa Flamingo
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Playa Flamingo Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Playa Flamingo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,686

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,686 per month in Playa Flamingo vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Playa Flamingo $1,686
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $2,670 per month in Playa Flamingo vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Playa Flamingo $2,670
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,654 per month in Playa Flamingo vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Playa Flamingo $3,654
Nosara $3,820

Playa Flamingo is about 9% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Playa Flamingo and Nosara sit above the global median – Playa Flamingo by 24%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 ₡5,314

$12.36 ₡5,575

-4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.1K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

2.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 ₡4,463

$7.88 ₡3,557

25.51%

Cappuccino

$4.36 ₡1,968

$4.40 ₡1,986

-0.91%

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

$2.74 ₡1,235

$1.72 ₡776

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.34 ₡603

37.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,479

$3.34 ₡1,505

-1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₡1,958

$4.54 ₡2,048

-4.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₡915

$1.64 ₡739

23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,406

$3.16 ₡1,426

-1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$2.39 ₡1,080

5.02%

Eggs

$3.05 ₡1,374

$3.47 ₡1,564

-12.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 ₡4,881

$7.13 ₡3,217

51.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 ₡4,580

$10.32 ₡4,655

-1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.80 ₡5,327

$13.97 ₡6,302

-15.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 ₡2,380

$2.29 ₡1,031

130.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₡711

$1.62 ₡731

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 ₡2,193

$4.81 ₡2,169

1.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,768

$1.68 ₡758

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,739

$3.91 ₡1,765

-1.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 ₡1,632

$3.63 ₡1,640

-0.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡459

$1.13 ₡509

-9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,396

$2.63 ₡1,188

17.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 ₡2,296

$5.02 ₡2,267

1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,176

$19.71 ₡8,893

3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,252

$2.91 ₡1,314

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,658

$3.54 ₡1,597

3.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ₡627

$1.21 ₡545

14.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ₡1,134

$2.15 ₡969

16.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.63 ₡738

-4.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₡3,971

$8.77 ₡3,958

0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡693

$1.55 ₡700

-0.65%

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

$34.0K ₡15.3M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

0.34%

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

$42.2K ₡19.0M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

9.65%

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

$94.5 ₡42.6K

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-0.77%

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

$20.06 ₡9,050

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-44.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 ₡26.6K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ₡25.3K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

-17.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.92 ₡4,475

$35.55 ₡16.0K

-72.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 ₡3,498

$7.54 ₡3,404

2.79%

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

$994 ₡448.6K

$496 ₡224.0K

100.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,017 ₡4.1M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-23.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡32.0K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

28.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.4K

$56.1 ₡25.3K

0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.6K

$77.8 ₡35.1K

66.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.6K

$79.1 ₡35.7K

69.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 ₡723.7K

$817 ₡368.9K

96.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ₡288.9K

$806 ₡363.6K

-20.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,962 ₡1.3M

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-25.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 ₡568.1K

$1,429 ₡644.9K

-11.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,601 ₡1.6M

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-49.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

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 Flamingo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa Flamingo

$640 38%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 25.9% $166

Groceries & Markets

Playa Flamingo

$389 23.1%

Nosara

$351 19% 9.7% $38

Eating Out

Playa Flamingo

$220 13%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 2.9% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa Flamingo

$176 10.5%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 31.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa Flamingo

$173 10.3%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 5.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Playa Flamingo

$72 4.2%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 15.6% $11

Getting Around

Playa Flamingo

$16 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 461% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Playa Flamingo versus $817 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 $62 in Playa Flamingo versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa Flamingo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

Same time as Playa Flamingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Playa Flamingo Nosara 52 km

From you

Playa Flamingo
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 Flamingo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,686 in Playa Flamingo, $1,846 in Nosara – Playa Flamingo comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Playa Flamingo and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,604 in Playa Flamingo.

Kindergarten costs $994 per month in Playa Flamingo and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,686 in Playa Flamingo and $1,846 in Nosara. That makes Playa Flamingo about 9% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,686 in Playa Flamingo to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.