Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Lorenzo: $1,264 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Nosara, Costa Rica
San Lorenzo
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,264
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,264 per month in San Lorenzo vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Lorenzo $1,264
  • Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $1,992 per month in San Lorenzo vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Lorenzo $1,992
  • Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in San Lorenzo vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Lorenzo $2,720
  • Nosara $3,820

San Lorenzo is about 32% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

San Lorenzo sits 7% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.76 $11.76
$12.36 ₡5,575
-4.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 $83.4
$60.8 ₡27.4K
37.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.33 $9.33
$7.88 ₡3,557
18.40%
Cappuccino
$3.69 $3.69
$4.40 ₡1,986
-16.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 $1.90
$1.72 ₡776
10.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 $1.44
$1.34 ₡603
7.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 $3.09
$3.34 ₡1,505
-7.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.89 $4.89
$4.54 ₡2,048
7.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.64 ₡739
32.93%
White Bread (500g)
$3.61 $3.61
$3.16 ₡1,426
14.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.39 ₡1,080
1.67%
Eggs
$7.54 $7.54
$3.47 ₡1,564
117.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.78 $12.78
$7.13 ₡3,217
79.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.44 $9.44
$10.32 ₡4,655
-8.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.57 $13.57
$13.97 ₡6,302
-2.86%
Apples (1kg)
$5.19 $5.19
$2.29 ₡1,031
126.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.62 ₡731
55.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.85 $4.85
$4.81 ₡2,169
0.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$1.68 ₡758
184.52%
Potato (1kg)
$3.75 $3.75
$3.91 ₡1,765
-4.09%
Onion (1kg)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.63 ₡1,640
7.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.42 $3.42
$1.13 ₡509
202.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 $1.67
$2.63 ₡1,188
-36.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.76 $11.76
$5.02 ₡2,267
134.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.41 $15.41
$19.71 ₡8,893
-21.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.99 $2.99
$2.91 ₡1,314
2.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.05 $4.05
$3.54 ₡1,597
14.41%
🚌 Getting Around
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.21 ₡545
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.15 ₡969
18.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.63 ₡738
-6.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.67 $42.67
$8.77 ₡3,958
386.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 $1.19
$1.55 ₡700
-23.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K $34.9K
$33.9K ₡15.3M
3.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K $28.2K
$38.5K ₡17.4M
-26.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$323 $323
$95.2 ₡43.0K
239.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.2 $69.2
$36.29 ₡16.4K
90.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.1 $69.1
$52.0 ₡23.5K
32.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.45 $10.45
$7.54 ₡3,404
38.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$835 $835
$496 ₡224.0K
68.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K $12.4K
$11.8K ₡5.3M
5.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 $55.2
$55.1 ₡24.9K
0.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.2 $60.2
$56.1 ₡25.3K
7.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 $110
$77.8 ₡35.1K
41.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 $112
$79.1 ₡35.7K
41.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$817 ₡368.9K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$806 ₡363.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,429 ₡644.9K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,197 ₡540.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Lorenzo
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$888 ₡400.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
8.62
-24.01%

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

Last update for San Lorenzo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Lorenzo
$461
Nosara
$184 60.2% $278
Groceries & Markets
San Lorenzo
$415
Nosara
$351 15.4% $64
Eating Out
San Lorenzo
$205
Nosara
$213 4.1% $8.3
Clothing & Footwear
San Lorenzo
$152
Nosara
$121 20.6% $31
Sport & Entertainment
San Lorenzo
$21 *
Nosara
$83 296% $62
Getting Around
San Lorenzo
$10 *
Nosara
$89 770% $79
Accommodation & Living
San Lorenzo
- *
Nosara
$806

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in San Lorenzo versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇷 San Lorenzo
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
09:17 9:17 AM
07:17 7:17 AM
2 h behind San Lorenzo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,373
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Lorenzo Nosara 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Lorenzo
  • 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 Lorenzo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in San Lorenzo and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,264 in San Lorenzo, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in San Lorenzo compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,897 per month in San Lorenzo and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in San Lorenzo and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Lorenzo, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Nosara at $1,846. In San Lorenzo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between San Lorenzo and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,264 in San Lorenzo to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

San Lorenzo vs other spots: cost of living compared

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