Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo Alto and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Trujillo Alto and in Nosara: $1,768 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo Alto
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Trujillo Alto Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Trujillo Alto

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,768

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,768 per month in Trujillo Alto vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Trujillo Alto $1,768
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,648 per month in Trujillo Alto vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Trujillo Alto $2,648
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,529 per month in Trujillo Alto vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Trujillo Alto $3,529
Nosara $3,818

Trujillo Alto is about 4% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Trujillo Alto and Nosara sit above the global median – Trujillo Alto by 31%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 $13.07

$12.35 ₡5,539

5.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

32.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 $8.96

$7.52 ₡3,373

19.15%

Cappuccino

$2.91 $2.91

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.01%

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

$1.89 $1.89

$1.74 ₡780

8.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.31 ₡587

-25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.28 ₡1,471

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.47 ₡2,004

-13.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.56 ₡701

34.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.02 ₡1,355

9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.51 ₡1,125

-6.37%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$3.57 ₡1,603

33.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$7.43 ₡3,333

16.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$10.52 ₡4,717

-9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

$13.97 ₡6,265

-44.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.35 ₡1,052

90.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.61 ₡720

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$4.80 ₡2,152

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.61 ₡724

145.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.80 ₡1,703

-2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.69 ₡1,657

5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.13 ₡507

209.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.66 ₡1,191

-42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$5.18 ₡2,321

95.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.90 ₡1,300

6.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.63 ₡1,626

13.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.14 ₡958

18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.57 ₡703

-3.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.59 $41.59

$8.52 ₡3,823

388.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.52 ₡682

-32.24%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

59.78%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.05%

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

$322 $322

$96.3 ₡43.2K

234.32%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

66.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

31.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 $30.38

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-57.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 $10.09

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-71.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 $10.46

$7.89 ₡3,539

32.57%

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

$346 $346

$494 ₡221.6K

-29.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,414 $5,414

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-54.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.37 $39.37

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-27.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$77.9 ₡34.9K

15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$79.6 ₡35.7K

42.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 $700

$788 ₡353.4K

-11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 $557

$794 ₡356.2K

-29.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 $1,158

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-70.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 $948

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-33.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 $1,918

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-72.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,611 $1,611

$1,224 ₡549.0K

31.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,362 $3,362

$864 ₡387.3K

289.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

8.62

-24.01%

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

Last update for Trujillo Alto: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trujillo Alto

$557 31.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 42.7% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trujillo Alto

$452 25.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 58.9% $267

Groceries & Markets

Trujillo Alto

$362 20.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.8% $10

Eating Out

Trujillo Alto

$201 11.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 5.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Trujillo Alto

$134 7.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Trujillo Alto

$51 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 70.3% $36

Getting Around

Trujillo Alto

$10 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 759% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $700 in Trujillo Alto 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 289% higher in Trujillo Alto, 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 $81.0 in Trujillo Alto versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Trujillo Alto

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

16:13 4:13 PM

2 h behind Trujillo Alto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,712

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Trujillo Alto Nosara 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Trujillo Alto
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

Trujillo Alto vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,768 in Trujillo Alto, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,652 per month in Trujillo Alto 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 Trujillo Alto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Trujillo Alto and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Trujillo Alto, where all-in costs run around $1,768, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Trujillo Alto 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 $1,768 in Trujillo Alto 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 Trujillo Alto. 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.