Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Martin de los Andes and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Martin de los Andes: $1,257 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Martin de los Andes
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,257
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,257 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Martin de los Andes $1,257
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,090 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Martin de los Andes $2,090
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,922 per month in San Martin de los Andes vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Martin de los Andes $2,922
  • Nosara $3,818

San Martin de los Andes is about 32% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.31 ARS 23.2K
$12.35 ₡5,539
23.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.4 ARS 85.6K
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-7.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.59 ARS 22.1K
$7.52 ₡3,373
94.02%
Cappuccino
$3.51 ARS 5,334
$4.41 ₡1,978
-20.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 ARS 3,335
$1.74 ₡780
26.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 ARS 3,312
$1.31 ₡587
66.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.88 ARS 5,881
$3.28 ₡1,471
18.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 ARS 6,690
$4.47 ₡2,004
-1.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 ARS 2,266
$1.56 ₡701
-4.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.16 ARS 3,282
$3.02 ₡1,355
-28.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.84 ARS 2,790
$2.51 ₡1,125
-26.69%
Eggs
$3.08 ARS 4,667
$3.57 ₡1,603
-13.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.67 ARS 16.2K
$7.43 ₡3,333
43.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.72 ARS 13.2K
$10.52 ₡4,717
-17.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.02 ARS 15.2K
$13.97 ₡6,265
-28.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ARS 3,646
$2.35 ₡1,052
2.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.50 ARS 3,787
$1.61 ₡720
55.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.72 ARS 2,605
$4.80 ₡2,152
-64.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.79 ARS 4,231
$1.61 ₡724
73.29%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 ARS 1,466
$3.80 ₡1,703
-74.47%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 ARS 1,296
$3.69 ₡1,657
-76.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.13 ₡507
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 ARS 2,886
$2.66 ₡1,191
-28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.97 ARS 4,501
$5.18 ₡2,321
-42.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.48 ARS 8,316
$19.88 ₡8,916
-72.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 ARS 2,882
$2.90 ₡1,300
-34.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ARS 5,362
$3.63 ₡1,626
-2.75%
🚌 Getting Around
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 ARS 1,509
$1.12 ₡504
-11.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.31 ARS 1,989
$2.14 ₡958
-38.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.57 ₡703
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.52 ₡3,823
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 ARS 1,903
$1.52 ₡682
-17.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K ARS 42.2M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
28.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K ARS 48.7M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-7.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 ARS 214.5K
$96.3 ₡43.2K
46.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.33 ARS 29.3K
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-46.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.49 ARS 37.2K
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-54.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.09 ARS 41.1K
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-62.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.87 ARS 13.5K
$7.89 ₡3,539
12.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$255 ARS 386.5K
$494 ₡221.6K
-48.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 ARS 152.3K
$53.9 ₡24.2K
86.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 ARS 190.6K
$77.9 ₡34.9K
61.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 ARS 207.3K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
71.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$587 ARS 891.5K
$788 ₡353.4K
-25.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 ARS 515.7K
$794 ₡356.2K
-57.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,086 ARS 1.6M
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-72.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$851 ARS 1.3M
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-40.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Martin de los Andes
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
8.62
-

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

Last update for San Martin de los Andes: 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 Martin de los Andes
$340
Nosara
$794 134% $454
Groceries & Markets
San Martin de los Andes
$265 *
Nosara
$352 33.1% $88
Eating Out
San Martin de los Andes
$254
Nosara
$212 16.7% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Martin de los Andes
$185
Nosara
$186 0.3% $0.6
Clothing & Footwear
San Martin de los Andes
$163 *
Nosara
$120 26.4% $43
Sport & Entertainment
San Martin de los Andes
$45
Nosara
$87 94.9% $43
Getting Around
San Martin de los Andes
$5.3 *
Nosara
$87 1547% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $587 in San Martin de los Andes 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in San Martin de los Andes versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $352 – making San Martin de los Andes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇷 San Martin de los Andes
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
13:49 1:49 PM
10:49 10:49 AM
3 h behind San Martin de los Andes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,913
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Martin de los Andes Nosara 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Martin de los Andes
  • 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 Martin de los Andes vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in San Martin de los Andes and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,257 in San Martin de los Andes, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in San Martin de los Andes compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,886 per month in San Martin de los Andes and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between San Martin de los Andes and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Martin de los Andes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in San Martin de los Andes and $61.0 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?
Groceries cost about 33% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Martin de los Andes, where all-in costs run around $1,257, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Martin de los Andes 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 Martin de los Andes and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,257 in San Martin de los Andes to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is San Martin de los Andes or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between San Martin de los Andes and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with San Martin de los Andes. 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.

San Martin de los Andes vs other spots: cost of living compared

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