Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta del Este and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Punta del Este and in Nosara: $1,872 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

Cost of Living Index in Punta del Este
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Punta del Este Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Punta del Este

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,872

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,872 per month in Punta del Este vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Punta del Este $1,872
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,674 per month in Punta del Este vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Punta del Este $2,674
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,476 per month in Punta del Este vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Punta del Este $3,476
Nosara $3,712

Punta del Este costs about 2% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Punta del Este and Nosara sit above the global median – Punta del Este by 40%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.97 UYU 522

$12.22 ₡5,509

6.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.67 UYU 1,716

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-29.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.42 UYU 539

$7.54 ₡3,399

77.98%

Cappuccino

$4.58 UYU 184

$4.31 ₡1,941

6.26%

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

$2.34 UYU 94.0

$1.72 ₡773

36.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 UYU 80.1

$1.35 ₡608

47.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 UYU 121

$3.24 ₡1,459

-6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 UYU 143

$4.48 ₡2,018

-20.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 UYU 46.80

$1.57 ₡707

-26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 UYU 110

$3.17 ₡1,429

-13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 UYU 66.5

$2.42 ₡1,091

-31.82%

Eggs

$4.21 UYU 169

$3.57 ₡1,609

17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 UYU 491

$7.43 ₡3,349

64.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 UYU 462

$10.42 ₡4,697

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.54 UYU 464

$13.66 ₡6,156

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 UYU 116

$2.32 ₡1,044

24.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 UYU 112

$1.61 ₡728

73.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 UYU 69.4

$4.74 ₡2,138

-63.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 UYU 124

$1.66 ₡747

86.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 UYU 78.9

$3.72 ₡1,679

-47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 UYU 79.6

$3.57 ₡1,611

-44.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 UYU 57.0

$1.10 ₡497

29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 UYU 77.8

$2.55 ₡1,149

-23.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 UYU 216

$4.95 ₡2,232

8.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 UYU 325

$20.01 ₡9,020

-59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 UYU 90.6

$2.79 ₡1,256

-19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 UYU 111

$3.53 ₡1,589

-21.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 UYU 54.4

$1.19 ₡537

13.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.10 UYU 1,974

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-31.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.9

$2.24 ₡1,011

-14.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.25

$1.55 ₡701

-74.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.74 UYU 392

$8.86 ₡3,993

9.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 UYU 84.9

$1.57 ₡708

34.39%

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

$26.6K UYU 1.1M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

21.93%

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

$36.9K UYU 1.5M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

6.42%

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

$113 UYU 4,543

$93.5 ₡42.1K

20.90%

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

$20.68 UYU 831

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-41.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.10 UYU 1,813

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-12.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 UYU 2,237

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-22.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 UYU 743

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-47.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 UYU 484

$7.84 ₡3,535

53.44%

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

$498 UYU 20.0K

$490 ₡220.7K

1.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,484 UYU 260.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-45.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 UYU 3,602

$53.5 ₡24.1K

67.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.55 UYU 1,510

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-32.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 UYU 4,925

$79.3 ₡35.7K

54.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,705

$78.9 ₡35.6K

48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 UYU 44.6K

$786 ₡354.3K

41.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 UYU 33.3K

$780 ₡351.6K

6.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 UYU 77.5K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-50.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 UYU 48.5K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-14.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,794 UYU 152.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-45.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,039 UYU 82.0K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

69.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 UYU 42.7K

$876 ₡395.0K

21.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Punta del Este: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Punta del Este

$828 44.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 5.8% $48

Groceries & Markets

Punta del Este

$316 17%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10.5% $33

Eating Out

Punta del Este

$238 12.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 12.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Punta del Este

$179 9.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 0.7% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Punta del Este

$165 8.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 27.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Punta del Este

$80 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9.3% $7.4

Getting Around

Punta del Este

$58 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 48.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,109 in Punta del Este versus $786 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 21% higher in Punta del Este, 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 $43.00 in Punta del Este versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $350 – making Punta del Este the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Punta del Este

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

00:23 12:23 AM

3 h behind Punta del Este

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,300

4,912

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Punta del Este Nosara 5,950 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Punta del Este
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

Punta del Este vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,872 in Punta del Este, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,809 per month in Punta del Este and $2,756 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $498 per month in Punta del Este and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Punta del Este at $1,872. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Punta del Este 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $1,872 in Punta del Este. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Punta del Este makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.