Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tibas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tibas: $1,724 a month against $1,846 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.

82

Cost of Living Index in Tibas
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Tibas Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tibas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,724

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,724 per month in Tibas vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Tibas $1,724
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $2,646 per month in Tibas vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Tibas $2,646
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,567 per month in Tibas vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Tibas $3,567
Nosara $3,820

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.21 ₡5,508

$12.36 ₡5,575

-1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 ₡15.6K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-43.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 ₡4,927

$7.88 ₡3,557

38.58%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₡1,759

$4.40 ₡1,986

-11.36%

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

$2.37 ₡1,071

$1.72 ₡776

37.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡859

$1.34 ₡603

41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 ₡1,263

$3.34 ₡1,505

-16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,019

$4.54 ₡2,048

-1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,078

$1.64 ₡739

45.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,390

$3.16 ₡1,426

-2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 ₡1,138

$2.39 ₡1,080

5.44%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,613

$3.47 ₡1,564

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 ₡4,817

$7.13 ₡3,217

49.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 ₡4,783

$10.32 ₡4,655

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 ₡6,354

$13.97 ₡6,302

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 ₡2,245

$2.29 ₡1,031

117.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.62 ₡731

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,116

$4.81 ₡2,169

-2.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,739

$1.68 ₡758

129.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 ₡1,688

$3.91 ₡1,765

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 ₡1,633

$3.63 ₡1,640

-0.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡486

$1.13 ₡509

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,443

$2.63 ₡1,188

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,738

$5.02 ₡2,267

20.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.22 ₡9,123

$19.71 ₡8,893

2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,302

$2.91 ₡1,314

-0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₡1,678

$3.54 ₡1,597

5.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡585

$1.21 ₡545

7.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ₡1,077

$2.15 ₡969

11.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.63 ₡738

-1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 ₡3,896

$8.77 ₡3,958

-1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡710

$1.55 ₡700

1.29%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

2.10%

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

$41.5K ₡18.7M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

7.82%

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

$95.9 ₡43.3K

$95.2 ₡43.0K

0.72%

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

$35.33 ₡15.9K

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 ₡26.6K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

13.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 ₡31.0K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

1.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 ₡3,554

$7.54 ₡3,404

4.51%

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

$972 ₡438.6K

$496 ₡224.0K

95.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.9M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

48.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 ₡31.9K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

28.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 ₡25.4K

$56.1 ₡25.3K

0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.2K

$77.8 ₡35.1K

62.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡59.3K

$79.1 ₡35.7K

66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 ₡367.4K

$817 ₡368.9K

-0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ₡289.3K

$806 ₡363.6K

-20.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 ₡851.1K

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-52.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₡559.4K

$1,429 ₡644.9K

-13.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$983 ₡443.6K

$888 ₡400.7K

10.68%

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 Tibas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tibas

$641 37.2%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 25.7% $165

Groceries & Markets

Tibas

$402 23.3%

Nosara

$351 19% 12.7% $51

Eating Out

Tibas

$217 12.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 1.8% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tibas

$190 11%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 3.5% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Tibas

$173 10.1%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 30.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Tibas

$84 4.9%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 2% $1.7

Getting Around

Tibas

$16 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 470% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $814 in Tibas 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.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Tibas, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Tibas versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Tibas vs $351 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tibas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

Same time as Tibas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,842

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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Tibas Nosara 180 km

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Tibas
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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

Tibas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,724 in Tibas, $1,846 in Nosara – Tibas comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,586 per month in Tibas and $2,769 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 $814 in Tibas and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Tibas and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,724 in Tibas to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.