Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesada and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Quesada: $1,664 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Quesada
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Quesada Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Quesada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,664

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,664 per month in Quesada vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Quesada $1,664
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $2,649 per month in Quesada vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Quesada $2,649
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,633 per month in Quesada vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Quesada $3,633
Nosara $3,820

Quesada is about 10% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Quesada and Nosara sit above the global median – Quesada by 22%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 ₡5,431

$12.36 ₡5,578

-2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 ₡27.7K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,350

$7.88 ₡3,558

50.38%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,961

$4.40 ₡1,987

-1.36%

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

$2.76 ₡1,247

$1.72 ₡776

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡839

$1.34 ₡603

38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,478

$3.34 ₡1,506

-2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₡1,073

$4.54 ₡2,049

-47.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,047

$1.64 ₡739

41.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 ₡1,286

$3.16 ₡1,427

-9.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,122

$2.39 ₡1,080

4.18%

Eggs

$2.65 ₡1,197

$3.47 ₡1,564

-23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ₡4,795

$7.13 ₡3,219

48.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ₡4,736

$10.32 ₡4,657

1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 ₡6,245

$13.97 ₡6,305

-1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 ₡2,383

$2.29 ₡1,032

130.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡721

$1.62 ₡732

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ₡505

$4.81 ₡2,171

-76.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₡1,801

$1.68 ₡758

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,740

$3.91 ₡1,766

-1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,625

$3.63 ₡1,641

-0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.13 ₡510

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,442

$2.63 ₡1,188

21.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 ₡2,610

$5.02 ₡2,268

15.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 ₡6,883

$19.71 ₡8,897

-22.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,307

$2.91 ₡1,315

-0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₡1,678

$3.54 ₡1,598

5.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ₡642

$1.21 ₡545

17.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₡713

$2.15 ₡970

-26.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.63 ₡738

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,960

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.55 ₡701

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

$34.4K ₡15.5M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

1.62%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

7.25%

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

$94.6 ₡42.7K

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-0.61%

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

$30.47 ₡13.8K

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-16.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 ₡24.8K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 ₡31.0K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

1.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.49 ₡7,443

$35.55 ₡16.0K

-53.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 ₡2,435

$7.54 ₡3,405

-28.51%

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

$254 ₡114.7K

$496 ₡224.1K

-48.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,200 ₡1.9M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-64.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₡31.7K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.8K

$56.1 ₡25.3K

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$77.8 ₡35.1K

65.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₡49.9K

$79.1 ₡35.7K

39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₡368.0K

$817 ₡369.0K

-0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 ₡284.3K

$806 ₡363.8K

-21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 ₡862.8K

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡567.4K

$1,429 ₡645.2K

-12.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,200 ₡1.9M

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-40.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,197 ₡991.9K

$1,197 ₡540.3K

83.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.9K

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 Quesada: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quesada

$630 37.8%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 27.9% $176

Groceries & Markets

Quesada

$372 22.4%

Nosara

$351 19% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Quesada

$224 13.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 4.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quesada

$180 10.8%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 2% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Quesada

$164 9.9%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 26.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Quesada

$80 4.8%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 4% $3.1

Getting Around

Quesada

$15 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 488% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $815 in Quesada 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 $61 in Quesada versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $372 in Quesada vs $351 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Quesada

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

Same time as Quesada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Quesada Nosara 140 km

From you

Quesada
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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

Quesada vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,664 in Quesada, $1,846 in Nosara – Quesada comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,496 per month in Quesada and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $815 in Quesada and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $254 per month in Quesada 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 $1,664 in Quesada and $1,846 in Nosara. That makes Quesada about 10% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,664 in Quesada and $1,846 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,664 in Quesada 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.