Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $890 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$890

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $890 per month in San Juan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $890
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in San Juan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $1,389
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,888 per month in San Juan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $1,888
Nosara $3,818

San Juan is about 52% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Juan sits 34% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 ARS 10.3K

$12.35 ₡5,539

-45.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.31 ARS 59.7K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-35.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 ARS 18.3K

$7.52 ₡3,373

60.64%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ARS 3,938

$4.41 ₡1,978

-41.27%

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

$2.11 ARS 3,202

$1.74 ₡780

21.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ARS 2,761

$1.31 ₡587

38.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 ARS 5,930

$3.28 ₡1,471

19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ARS 6,799

$4.47 ₡2,004

0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,101

$1.56 ₡701

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ARS 2,195

$3.02 ₡1,355

-51.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,124

$2.51 ₡1,125

-44.22%

Eggs

$1.44 ARS 2,184

$3.57 ₡1,603

-59.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.84 ARS 4,305

$7.43 ₡3,333

-61.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ARS 9,448

$10.52 ₡4,717

-40.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ARS 16.5K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-21.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,129

$2.35 ₡1,052

-40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 2,108

$1.61 ₡720

-13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ARS 2,037

$4.80 ₡2,152

-72.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,193

$1.61 ₡724

-9.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,128

$3.80 ₡1,703

-63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ARS 2,098

$3.69 ₡1,657

-62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ARS 2,129

$1.13 ₡507

23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,183

$2.66 ₡1,191

-45.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ARS 4,117

$5.18 ₡2,321

-47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 ARS 7,433

$19.88 ₡8,916

-75.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 ARS 2,136

$2.90 ₡1,300

-51.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,178

$3.63 ₡1,626

-60.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ARS 1,460

$1.12 ₡504

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ARS 3,006

$2.14 ₡958

-7.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ARS 1,495

$1.57 ₡703

-36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 ARS 7,351

$8.52 ₡3,823

-43.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ARS 1,782

$1.52 ₡682

-23.03%

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

$26.7K ARS 40.6M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

23.71%

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

$33.6K ARS 51.1M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-2.52%

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

$144 ARS 218.7K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

49.67%

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

$10.04 ARS 15.2K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-72.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.82 ARS 27.0K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-66.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.42 ARS 46.2K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-57.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 ARS 10.5K

$7.89 ₡3,539

-12.17%

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

$172 ARS 260.5K

$494 ₡221.6K

-65.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,122 ARS 6.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-65.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ARS 162.3K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

98.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.58 ARS 64.6K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.1 ARS 88.1K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-25.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.86 ARS 54.4K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-54.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ARS 378.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

-68.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ARS 301.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-75.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ARS 747.1K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-87.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ARS 607.2K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-71.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$700 ARS 1.1M

$864 ₡387.3K

-18.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

526.45%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$198 22.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 300% $596

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$190 21.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 85.9% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$172 19.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 8% $14

Eating Out

San Juan

$166 18.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 27.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$110 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$44 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 97.4% $43

Getting Around

San Juan

$11 * 1.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 710% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $249 in San Juan versus $788 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 23% 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 $39.00 in San Juan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $352 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Juan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

12:23 12:23 PM

3 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,029

4,912

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan Nosara 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
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

San Juan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $890 in San Juan, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,335 per month in San Juan and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, 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 $39.00 in San Juan and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $890, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Juan 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 $890 in San Juan to $1,839 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 San Juan. 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.