Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sal and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sal: $857 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Sal
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Sal Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sal

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$857

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $857 per month in Sal vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sal $857
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,347 per month in Sal vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sal $1,347
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,836 per month in Sal vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sal $1,836
Nosara $3,712

Sal is about 53% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sal sits 36% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.71 CVE 562

$12.22 ₡5,509

-53.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.45 CVE 4,571

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-22.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 CVE 1,122

$7.54 ₡3,399

51.19%

Cappuccino

$2.27 CVE 223

$4.31 ₡1,941

-47.33%

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

$2.69 CVE 265

$1.72 ₡773

56.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 CVE 113

$1.35 ₡608

-14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 CVE 443

$3.24 ₡1,459

38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CVE 309

$4.48 ₡2,018

-29.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 CVE 159

$1.57 ₡707

2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 CVE 218

$3.17 ₡1,429

-30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 CVE 119

$2.42 ₡1,091

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.98 CVE 293

$3.57 ₡1,609

-16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 CVE 936

$7.43 ₡3,349

28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 CVE 751

$10.42 ₡4,697

-26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 CVE 1,628

$13.66 ₡6,156

21.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CVE 322

$2.32 ₡1,044

40.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 CVE 238

$1.61 ₡728

50.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CVE 321

$4.74 ₡2,138

-31.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 CVE 396

$1.66 ₡747

142.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 CVE 172

$3.72 ₡1,679

-53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 CVE 186

$3.57 ₡1,611

-47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 CVE 155

$1.10 ₡497

42.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CVE 114

$2.55 ₡1,149

-54.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 CVE 447

$4.95 ₡2,232

-8.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 CVE 671

$20.01 ₡9,020

-65.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.01 CVE 395

$2.79 ₡1,256

43.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 CVE 183

$3.53 ₡1,589

-47.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 CVE 103

$1.19 ₡537

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 CVE 206

$2.24 ₡1,011

-6.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 CVE 312

$1.55 ₡701

104.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.72 CVE 1,252

$8.86 ₡3,993

43.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CVE 132

$1.57 ₡708

-14.65%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$62.3 CVE 6,132

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-33.32%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 CVE 4,945

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 CVE 2,782

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-60.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$115 CVE 11.3K

$490 ₡220.7K

-76.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.89 CVE 3,040

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-42.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CVE 14.2K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

82.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$260 CVE 25.6K

$786 ₡354.3K

-66.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 CVE 17.0K

$780 ₡351.6K

-77.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 CVE 29.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-92.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 CVE 20.5K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-85.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$672 CVE 66.1K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-90.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$341 CVE 33.5K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-71.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 CVE 25.0K

$876 ₡395.0K

-71.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

8.62

-39.10%

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

Last update for Sal: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sal

$302 34.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 15.7% $48

Accommodation & Living

Sal

$172 19.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 353% $608

Eating Out

Sal

$151 17.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 38.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sal

$113 * 13%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 59.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Sal

$79 * 9.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 53% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Sal

$28 * 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 208% $59

Getting Around

Sal

$22 * 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 293% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $260 in Sal 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 245% 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 $46.00 in Sal versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $350 – making Sal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Sal

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

5 h behind Sal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,288

4,912

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.16 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.06 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CVE – Cabo Verdean Escudo Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇻 Cabo Verdean Escudo ($)

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 98.4 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.06 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 CVE in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sal Nosara 6,800 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sal
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

Sal vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $857 in Sal, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 114% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,286 per month in Sal 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 Sal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Sal and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sal, where all-in costs run around $857, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sal 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 $857 in Sal 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 Sal. 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.