Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacna and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $438 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$438

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $438 per month in Tacna vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacna $438
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $627 per month in Tacna vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacna $627
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $816 per month in Tacna vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacna $816
Nosara $3,818

Tacna is about 76% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tacna sits 68% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 PEN 10.02

$12.35 ₡5,539

-76.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.56 PEN 50.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-76.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 PEN 17.36

$7.52 ₡3,373

-32.71%

Cappuccino

$3.42 PEN 11.75

$4.41 ₡1,978

-22.45%

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

$1.14 PEN 3.91

$1.74 ₡780

-34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 PEN 1.56

$1.31 ₡587

-64.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 PEN 10.20

$3.28 ₡1,471

-9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PEN 11.86

$4.47 ₡2,004

-22.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 PEN 4.10

$1.56 ₡701

-23.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 PEN 4.86

$3.02 ₡1,355

-53.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 PEN 2.94

$2.51 ₡1,125

-65.74%

Eggs

$1.71 PEN 5.88

$3.57 ₡1,603

-52.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.45 PEN 15.30

$7.43 ₡3,333

-40.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 PEN 16.05

$10.52 ₡4,717

-55.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 PEN 29.05

$13.97 ₡6,265

-39.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.86

$1.61 ₡720

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PEN 2.87

$4.80 ₡2,152

-82.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 PEN 2.59

$3.80 ₡1,703

-80.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 PEN 2.39

$2.66 ₡1,191

-73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 PEN 15.32

$5.18 ₡2,321

-13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 PEN 21.84

$19.88 ₡8,916

-68.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PEN 8.88

$2.90 ₡1,300

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$1.12 ₡504

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 PEN 6.56

$2.14 ₡958

-10.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$18.92 PEN 65.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-47.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.96 PEN 89.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-51.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.45 PEN 101

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-58.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$2.62 PEN 9.01

$7.89 ₡3,539

-66.79%

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

$57.7 PEN 198

$494 ₡221.6K

-88.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.29 PEN 69.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-62.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.61 PEN 70.8

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-62.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.48 PEN 91.0

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-66.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.4 PEN 242

$794 ₡356.2K

-91.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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)

$467 PEN 1,602

$864 ₡387.3K

-45.98%

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 Tacna: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tacna

–

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Groceries & Markets

Tacna

–

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Eating Out

Tacna

–

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacna

–

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Tacna

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Tacna

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Tacna

–

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 85% 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 $15.00 in Tacna versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $352 – making Tacna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Tacna

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:38 10:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

1 h behind Tacna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,972

4,912

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 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 PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tacna Nosara 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacna
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

Tacna vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $438 in Tacna, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 320% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $656 per month in Tacna and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Tacna 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 140% 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 Tacna, where all-in costs run around $438, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tacna 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 $438 in Tacna 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 Tacna. 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.