Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara, Costa Rica and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,032 in Samara, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Samara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,032

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,032 per month in Samara vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Samara $2,032
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $3,533 per month in Samara vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Samara $3,533
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $5,034 per month in Samara vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Samara $5,034
Nosara $3,820

Samara costs about 10% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Samara and Nosara sit above the global median – Samara by 49%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 ₡4,997

$12.36 ₡5,578

-10.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 ₡28.1K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

2.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.70 ₡5,282

$7.88 ₡3,558

48.48%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,960

$4.40 ₡1,987

-1.36%

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

$2.72 ₡1,229

$1.72 ₡776

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡866

$1.34 ₡603

43.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,501

$3.34 ₡1,506

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 ₡2,036

$4.54 ₡2,049

-0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,095

$1.64 ₡739

47.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,376

$3.16 ₡1,427

-3.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 ₡1,129

$2.39 ₡1,080

4.60%

Eggs

$3.46 ₡1,561

$3.47 ₡1,564

-0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₡4,868

$7.13 ₡3,219

51.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ₡4,736

$10.32 ₡4,657

1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 ₡4,885

$13.97 ₡6,305

-22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 ₡2,263

$2.29 ₡1,032

118.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡745

$1.62 ₡732

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 ₡2,129

$4.81 ₡2,171

-1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 ₡1,723

$1.68 ₡758

127.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.91 ₡1,766

-4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,665

$3.63 ₡1,641

1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡487

$1.13 ₡510

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,397

$2.63 ₡1,188

17.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 ₡2,516

$5.02 ₡2,268

10.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 ₡8,513

$19.71 ₡8,897

-4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,255

$2.91 ₡1,315

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₡1,119

$3.54 ₡1,598

-29.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ₡630

$1.21 ₡545

15.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ₡1,118

$2.15 ₡970

15.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.63 ₡738

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 ₡3,843

$8.77 ₡3,960

-2.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡686

$1.55 ₡701

-1.94%

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

$34.3K ₡15.5M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

1.26%

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

$41.2K ₡18.6M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

7.18%

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

$94.0 ₡42.4K

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-1.29%

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

$35.45 ₡16.0K

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-2.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 ₡26.6K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

13.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 ₡30.2K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

-1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ₡3,556

$7.54 ₡3,405

4.51%

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

$502 ₡226.4K

$496 ₡224.1K

1.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,013 ₡2.7M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-48.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 ₡30.3K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 ₡25.1K

$56.1 ₡25.3K

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.4K

$77.8 ₡35.1K

66.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡60.0K

$79.1 ₡35.7K

68.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 ₡619.7K

$817 ₡369.0K

67.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 ₡436.4K

$806 ₡363.8K

19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,769 ₡1.7M

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-5.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,611 ₡1.2M

$1,429 ₡645.2K

82.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,955 ₡2.2M

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-29.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.3K

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 Samara: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samara

$967 47.6%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 16.7% $161

Groceries & Markets

Samara

$385 19%

Nosara

$351 19% 8.8% $34

Eating Out

Samara

$220 10.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 3% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samara

$188 9.3%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 2.6% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Samara

$173 8.5%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 30.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Samara

$83 4.1%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Samara

$16 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 459% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,373 in Samara 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 $62 in Samara versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Samara

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

Same time as Samara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,071

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Samara Nosara 17 km

From you

Samara
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

Samara vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,032 in Samara, $1,846 in Nosara – Nosara comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,048 per month in Samara and $2,769 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,373 in Samara.

Kindergarten costs $502 per month in Samara 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 $2,032 in Samara and $1,846 in Nosara. That makes Nosara about 9% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,032 in Samara 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 $1,846 in Nosara to $2,032 in Samara. 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.