Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Costa Rica and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $1,723 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

83

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Juan

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,723

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/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 $1,723 per month in San Juan vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $1,723
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $2,746 per month in San Juan vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $2,746
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $3,770 per month in San Juan vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

San Juan $3,770
Nosara $3,790

San Juan is about 7% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Juan and Nosara sit above the global median – San Juan by 27%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 ₡5,602

$12.38 ₡5,569

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$60.6 ₡27.3K

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,331

$7.81 ₡3,513

51.73%

Cappuccino

$4.35 ₡1,956

$4.37 ₡1,966

-0.46%

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

$2.75 ₡1,238

$1.78 ₡801

54.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡855

$1.35 ₡605

40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,502

$3.39 ₡1,526

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,035

$4.31 ₡1,940

4.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₡1,047

$1.55 ₡699

50.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 ₡1,400

$3.17 ₡1,426

-1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 ₡1,096

$2.51 ₡1,131

-2.79%

Eggs

$3.48 ₡1,565

$3.53 ₡1,585

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 ₡4,794

$7.37 ₡3,314

44.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,731

$10.46 ₡4,704

0.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,291

$13.91 ₡6,256

0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ₡2,264

$2.26 ₡1,018

122.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡715

$1.56 ₡702

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.78 ₡2,149

$4.70 ₡2,113

1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 ₡1,713

$1.62 ₡729

135.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₡1,748

$3.88 ₡1,747

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 ₡1,690

$3.79 ₡1,704

-0.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.07 ₡481

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,393

$2.61 ₡1,174

18.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 ₡2,635

$5.16 ₡2,319

13.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.61 ₡8,820

$20.33 ₡9,144

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,287

$2.91 ₡1,310

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,613

$3.67 ₡1,651

-2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.31 ₡588

3.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₡1,087

$2.19 ₡984

10.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡699

$1.84 ₡830

-15.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 ₡3,877

$7.81 ₡3,514

10.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 ₡711

$1.56 ₡702

1.28%

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

$34.4K ₡15.5M

$33.4K ₡15.0M

2.96%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$38.1K ₡17.1M

8.51%

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

$95.5 ₡43.0K

$95.9 ₡43.1K

-0.32%

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

$35.02 ₡15.7K

$35.37 ₡15.9K

-0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡27.0K

$53.7 ₡24.1K

11.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 ₡30.1K

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-0.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 ₡3,469

$7.72 ₡3,473

-0.13%

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

$980 ₡440.7K

$496 ₡222.9K

97.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

44.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

$54.6 ₡24.6K

32.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 ₡25.3K

$55.0 ₡24.7K

2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.2K

$79.8 ₡35.9K

62.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$77.9 ₡35.0K

71.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ₡358.8K

$817 ₡367.5K

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₡282.1K

$800 ₡359.8K

-21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 ₡864.2K

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-50.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₡578.7K

$1,396 ₡627.7K

-7.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.4K

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 San Juan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$627 36.4%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 27.6% $173

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$399 23.2%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 11.7% $46

Eating Out

San Juan

$232 13.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 8.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$191 11.1%

Nosara

$185 10% 3% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$176 10.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$82 4.8%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 0.5% $0.5

Getting Around

San Juan

$16 * 0.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 477% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in San Juan 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 San Juan versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in San Juan vs $353 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Juan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,000

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

San Juan Nosara 170 km

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: $1,723 in San Juan, $1,844 in Nosara – San Juan comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,584 per month in San Juan and $2,765 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 $798 in San Juan and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $980 per month in San Juan 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 $1,723 in San Juan and $1,844 in Nosara. That makes San Juan about 7% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,723 in San Juan and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan costs $1,723 versus $1,844 in Nosara. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.