Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: $1,596 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,596

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,596 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,596
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,398 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,398
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,200 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,200
Nosara $3,818

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is about 13% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Nosara sit above the global median – Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon by 18%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 ₡5,353

$12.35 ₡5,539

-3.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.58 ₡20.0K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-27.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 ₡4,855

$7.52 ₡3,373

43.88%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ₡1,808

$4.41 ₡1,978

-8.62%

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

$2.38 ₡1,067

$1.74 ₡780

36.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₡819

$1.31 ₡587

39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,510

$3.28 ₡1,471

2.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ₡1,800

$4.47 ₡2,004

-10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₡931

$1.56 ₡701

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,418

$3.02 ₡1,355

4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,089

$2.51 ₡1,125

-3.19%

Eggs

$3.07 ₡1,378

$3.57 ₡1,603

-14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 ₡2,942

$7.43 ₡3,333

-11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 ₡3,479

$10.52 ₡4,717

-26.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ₡6,350

$13.97 ₡6,265

1.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 ₡1,161

$2.35 ₡1,052

10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.61 ₡720

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₡576

$4.80 ₡2,152

-73.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 ₡781

$1.61 ₡724

8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,165

$3.80 ₡1,703

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₡881

$3.69 ₡1,657

-46.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ₡311

$1.13 ₡507

-38.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₡898

$2.66 ₡1,191

-24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₡1,398

$5.18 ₡2,321

-39.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ₡6,773

$19.88 ₡8,916

-24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,284

$2.90 ₡1,300

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₡1,663

$3.63 ₡1,626

2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡582

$1.12 ₡504

16.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.11 ₡19.3K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-40.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₡825

$2.14 ₡958

-14.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡693

$1.57 ₡703

-1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,814

$8.52 ₡3,823

-0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

$1.52 ₡682

-1.32%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

3.05%

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

$35.0K ₡15.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

1.54%

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

$95.5 ₡42.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-0.78%

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

$35.40 ₡15.9K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.86 ₡14.7K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-38.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 ₡33.0K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

2.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 ₡3,458

$7.89 ₡3,539

-2.28%

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

$972 ₡435.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

96.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

43.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₡29.0K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

19.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.92 ₡11.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-53.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 ₡43.5K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

24.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 ₡24.4K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-31.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₡309.3K

$788 ₡353.4K

-12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₡295.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

-17.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 ₡888.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-49.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 ₡508.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-20.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$976 ₡437.6K

$864 ₡387.3K

12.98%

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$659 41.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 20.5% $135

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$299 18.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 17.7% $53

Eating Out

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 2.8% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$164 10.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 13.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$109 6.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$89 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 50.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 13% higher in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $352 – making Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

Same time as Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🌤 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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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

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,394 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, where all-in costs run around $1,596, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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.