Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumon: $429 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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

Tumon

🇬🇺 Guam

$429

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $429 per month in Tumon vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Tumon $429
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,002 per month in Tumon vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Tumon $2,002
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Tumon vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Tumon $3,574
Nosara $3,814

Tumon is about 77% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tumon sits 68% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$12.34 ₡5,535

105.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-15.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 $12.95

$7.76 ₡3,481

66.88%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$4.44 ₡1,992

35.36%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.79 ₡803

70.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.29 ₡580

134.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.24 ₡1,451

119.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.43 ₡1,985

100.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.87 $6.87

$1.22 ₡549

463.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.56 ₡698

24.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-24.84%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

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

$490 ₡219.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,433 $2,433

$1,409 ₡632.0K

72.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 Tumon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tumon

–

Nosara

$790 43%

Groceries & Markets

Tumon

–

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Eating Out

Tumon

–

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tumon

–

Nosara

$184 10%

Clothing & Footwear

Tumon

–

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Tumon

–

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Getting Around

Tumon

–

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Tumon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Tumon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

11:46 11:46 AM

16 h behind Tumon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,943

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Tumon Nosara 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Tumon
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

Tumon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $429 in Tumon, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 328% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $643 per month in Tumon and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $429 in Tumon and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 328%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Tumon and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tumon, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Tumon 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 $429 in Tumon to $1,835 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 Tumon. 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.