Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,127 in Tamarindo, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
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Tamarindo Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Tamarindo vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Tamarindo $2,127
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,081 per month in Tamarindo vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Tamarindo $3,081
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,035 per month in Tamarindo vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Tamarindo $4,035
Nosara $3,818

Tamarindo costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tamarindo and Nosara sit above the global median – Tamarindo by 58%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,463

$12.35 ₡5,539

-1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

1.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 ₡5,324

$7.52 ₡3,373

57.85%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,948

$4.41 ₡1,978

-1.59%

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

$2.65 ₡1,188

$1.74 ₡780

52.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡856

$1.31 ₡587

45.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,465

$3.28 ₡1,471

-0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₡2,043

$4.47 ₡2,004

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$1.56 ₡701

55.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$3.02 ₡1,355

3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,088

$2.51 ₡1,125

-3.59%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,556

$3.57 ₡1,603

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ₡4,721

$7.43 ₡3,333

41.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,716

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 ₡6,354

$13.97 ₡6,265

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,336

$2.35 ₡1,052

121.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.61 ₡720

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 ₡1,588

$4.80 ₡2,152

-26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,747

$1.61 ₡724

142.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 ₡1,141

$3.80 ₡1,703

-32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,665

$3.69 ₡1,657

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡487

$1.13 ₡507

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,376

$2.66 ₡1,191

15.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$5.18 ₡2,321

0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 ₡5,912

$19.88 ₡8,916

-33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.90 ₡1,300

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,385

$3.63 ₡1,626

-14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ₡929

$1.12 ₡504

84.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 ₡38.3K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

17.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,065

$2.14 ₡958

11.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡729

$1.57 ₡703

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ₡2,978

$8.52 ₡3,823

-22.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡675

$1.52 ₡682

-1.32%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

3.49%

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

$34.7K ₡15.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

0.56%

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

$93.5 ₡41.9K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-2.86%

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

$30.01 ₡13.5K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-16.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.5K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

10.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ₡45.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

41.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 ₡11.7K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-25.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,543

$7.89 ₡3,539

0.13%

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

$575 ₡257.7K

$494 ₡221.6K

16.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,081 ₡4.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-23.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₡32.1K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ₡11.8K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-52.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡53.7K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

53.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

65.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 ₡861.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

143.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡430.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

20.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 ₡1.2M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-30.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 ₡614.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-3.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,341 ₡2.4M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-22.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,241 ₡1.5M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

164.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ₡425.7K

$864 ₡387.3K

9.92%

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 Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tamarindo

$960 45.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 17.3% $166

Groceries & Markets

Tamarindo

$378 17.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 6.7% $25

Eating Out

Tamarindo

$229 10.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 7.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamarindo

$183 8.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 1.7% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Tamarindo

$157 7.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 23.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Tamarindo

$117 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 25.2% $29

Getting Around

Tamarindo

$104 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 16.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,921 in Tamarindo 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 10% higher in Tamarindo, 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 $62.0 in Tamarindo versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

Same time as Tamarindo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tamarindo Nosara 41 km

From you

Tamarindo
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

Tamarindo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,127 in Tamarindo, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Tamarindo 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $575 per month in Tamarindo and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Tamarindo at $2,127. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarindo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tamarindo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,127 in Tamarindo. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tamarindo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.