Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tripoli: $1,084 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tripoli
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,084
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,084 per month in Tripoli vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tripoli $1,084
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,637 per month in Tripoli vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tripoli $1,637
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,190 per month in Tripoli vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tripoli $2,190
  • Nosara $3,818

Tripoli is about 41% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tripoli sits 20% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.14 LBP 460.2K
$12.35 ₡5,539
-58.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 LBP 4.5M
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-17.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.06 LBP 811.2K
$7.52 ₡3,373
20.48%
Cappuccino
$3.93 LBP 351.3K
$4.41 ₡1,978
-10.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 LBP 137.2K
$1.74 ₡780
-12.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 LBP 76.4K
$1.31 ₡587
-35.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.86 LBP 435.3K
$3.28 ₡1,471
48.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.85 LBP 434.2K
$4.47 ₡2,004
8.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 LBP 117.6K
$1.56 ₡701
-16.03%
White Bread (500g)
$0.78 LBP 69.8K
$3.02 ₡1,355
-74.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 LBP 131.3K
$2.51 ₡1,125
-41.43%
Eggs
$1.17 LBP 104.3K
$3.57 ₡1,603
-67.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.05 LBP 989.1K
$7.43 ₡3,333
48.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.48 LBP 579.7K
$10.52 ₡4,717
-38.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.80 LBP 966.9K
$13.97 ₡6,265
-22.69%
Apples (1kg)
$3.13 LBP 280.1K
$2.35 ₡1,052
33.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 LBP 148.8K
$1.61 ₡720
3.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.69 LBP 151.5K
$4.80 ₡2,152
-64.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.48 LBP 42.9K
$1.61 ₡724
-70.19%
Potato (1kg)
$0.57 LBP 51.4K
$3.80 ₡1,703
-85.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 LBP 141.5K
$3.69 ₡1,657
-57.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.85 LBP 76.0K
$1.13 ₡507
-24.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 LBP 39.3K
$2.66 ₡1,191
-83.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.08 LBP 276.1K
$5.18 ₡2,321
-40.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 LBP 972.3K
$19.88 ₡8,916
-45.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 LBP 115.3K
$2.90 ₡1,300
-55.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 LBP 228.4K
$3.63 ₡1,626
-29.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 LBP 443.8K
$2.14 ₡958
131.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 LBP 88.2K
$1.57 ₡703
-36.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.63 LBP 1.8M
$8.52 ₡3,823
130.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 LBP 93.8K
$1.52 ₡682
-30.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.7K LBP 4.8B
$21.6K ₡9.7M
148.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K LBP 2.9B
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-4.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$237 LBP 21.2M
$96.3 ₡43.2K
145.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.34 LBP 1.3M
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-60.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.12 LBP 2.0M
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-58.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.40 LBP 3.6M
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-43.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.94 LBP 889.3K
$7.89 ₡3,539
25.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$676 LBP 60.5M
$494 ₡221.6K
36.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,398 LBP 304.2M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-71.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.4 LBP 5.9M
$53.9 ₡24.2K
23.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.95 LBP 4.4M
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-11.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 LBP 12.4M
$77.9 ₡34.9K
77.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 LBP 10.7M
$79.6 ₡35.7K
49.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$406 LBP 36.3M
$788 ₡353.4K
-48.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$203 LBP 18.2M
$794 ₡356.2K
-74.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$725 LBP 64.9M
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-81.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$347 LBP 31.0M
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-75.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,154 LBP 103.3M
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-83.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$852 LBP 76.2M
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-30.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tripoli
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$451 LBP 40.3M
$864 ₡387.3K
-47.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
8.62
27.61%

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

Last update for Tripoli: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tripoli
$273
Nosara
$186 32% $87
Groceries & Markets
Tripoli
$211
Nosara
$352 66.9% $141
Accommodation & Living
Tripoli
$203
Nosara
$794 292% $591
Clothing & Footwear
Tripoli
$168
Nosara
$120 28.4% $48
Eating Out
Tripoli
$159
Nosara
$212 33.2% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Tripoli
$60
Nosara
$87 45% $27
Getting Around
Tripoli
$9.9 *
Nosara
$87 782% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $406 in Tripoli 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 92% 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 $50.0 in Tripoli versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $352 – making Tripoli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇧 Tripoli
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
23:21 11:21 PM
14:21 2:21 PM
9 h behind Tripoli
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
999,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 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
  • Tripoli Nosara 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tripoli
  • 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
Tripoli vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tripoli and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,084 in Tripoli, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 70% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Tripoli compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,626 per month in Tripoli 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 Tripoli and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tripoli, 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 $50.0 in Tripoli 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 67% 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 $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tripoli, where all-in costs run around $1,084, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tripoli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Tripoli and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,084 in Tripoli to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Tripoli 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 Tripoli and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Tripoli. 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.

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