Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Quito vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Quito $979
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Quito vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Quito $1,607
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Quito vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Quito $2,234
Nosara $3,712

Quito is about 47% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Quito sits 27% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$12.22 ₡5,509

-49.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-10.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.54 ₡3,399

3.58%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$4.31 ₡1,941

-20.65%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$1.72 ₡773

-16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.35 ₡608

-15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.24 ₡1,459

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.48 ₡2,018

31.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.57 ₡707

-27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.17 ₡1,429

-51.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.42 ₡1,091

-37.60%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$3.57 ₡1,609

-39.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.43 ₡3,349

-13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$10.42 ₡4,697

-47.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$13.66 ₡6,156

-42.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.32 ₡1,044

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.61 ₡728

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$4.74 ₡2,138

-72.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.66 ₡747

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$3.72 ₡1,679

-67.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.57 ₡1,611

-71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.10 ₡497

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.55 ₡1,149

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$4.95 ₡2,232

21.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$20.01 ₡9,020

-50.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.79 ₡1,256

-43.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.53 ₡1,589

-12.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.19 ₡537

-68.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-70.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.24 ₡1,011

-31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.55 ₡701

-1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$8.86 ₡3,993

12.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.57 ₡708

-44.59%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-3.76%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-17.57%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-69.00%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-49.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-45.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-34.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-50.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$7.84 ₡3,535

-18.62%

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

$746 $746

$490 ₡220.7K

52.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-24.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

28.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-9.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$79.3 ₡35.7K

48.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$78.9 ₡35.6K

38.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$786 ₡354.3K

-39.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$780 ₡351.6K

-59.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-74.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-60.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-74.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-40.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$876 ₡395.0K

-31.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

8.62

17.40%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 149% $467

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 76.9% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 22.6% $35

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 36.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 141% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 47% $28

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 175% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Quito 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 47% 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 $54.0 in Quito versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $350 – making Quito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

20:49 8:49 PM

1 h behind Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quito Nosara 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quito
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

Quito vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $979 in Quito, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,468 per month in Quito 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 Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 244% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $746 per month in Quito and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Quito 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 $979 in Quito to $1,837 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 Quito. 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.