Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turrialba and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Turrialba: $1,726 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Turrialba
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Turrialba Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Turrialba

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,726

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,726 per month in Turrialba vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Turrialba $1,726
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,753 per month in Turrialba vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Turrialba $2,753
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,779 per month in Turrialba vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Turrialba $3,779
Nosara $3,814

Turrialba is about 6% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Turrialba and Nosara sit above the global median – Turrialba by 27%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 ₡5,370

$12.34 ₡5,535

-3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 ₡5,283

$7.76 ₡3,481

51.80%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,946

$4.44 ₡1,992

-2.25%

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

$2.75 ₡1,233

$1.79 ₡803

53.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡871

$1.29 ₡580

50.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 ₡1,488

$3.24 ₡1,451

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₡1,973

$4.43 ₡1,985

-0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.55 ₡696

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₡1,372

$3.08 ₡1,380

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,134

$2.53 ₡1,133

Eggs

$3.60 ₡1,612

$3.45 ₡1,546

4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₡4,726

$7.32 ₡3,284

43.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,630

$10.24 ₡4,594

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ₡6,352

$14.10 ₡6,326

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ₡2,273

$2.29 ₡1,027

121.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.64 ₡737

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,124

$4.79 ₡2,149

-1.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 ₡1,782

$1.64 ₡735

142.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,754

$3.85 ₡1,727

1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,663

$3.75 ₡1,681

-1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡505

$1.09 ₡488

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,431

$2.59 ₡1,160

23.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,724

$5.12 ₡2,295

18.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.24 ₡9,076

$19.92 ₡8,931

1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,274

$2.80 ₡1,255

1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ₡1,613

$3.52 ₡1,580

2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 ₡574

$1.22 ₡549

4.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,101

$2.17 ₡973

12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.56 ₡698

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₡3,948

$8.67 ₡3,886

1.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡671

$1.55 ₡697

-3.23%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-35.62%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-10.83%

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

$96.4 ₡43.2K

$94.8 ₡42.5K

1.69%

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

$35.27 ₡15.8K

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-2.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 ₡26.5K

$53.1 ₡23.8K

11.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 ₡33.0K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-0.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 ₡3,527

$7.91 ₡3,548

-0.51%

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

$993 ₡445.3K

$490 ₡219.9K

102.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ₡7.8M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

45.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 ₡32.3K

$54.8 ₡24.6K

31.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.3K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

1.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.5K

$80.4 ₡36.0K

59.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.1K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

71.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ₡362.3K

$801 ₡359.1K

0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡280.7K

$790 ₡354.1K

-20.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 ₡838.7K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-53.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₡577.2K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-8.68%

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 Turrialba: 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

Turrialba

$626 36.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 26.2% $164

Groceries & Markets

Turrialba

$402 23.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 12.9% $52

Eating Out

Turrialba

$227 13.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 6.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turrialba

$191 11.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 3.6% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Turrialba

$176 10.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 31.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Turrialba

$89 5.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 0.2% $0.2

Getting Around

Turrialba

$15 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 476% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $808 in Turrialba versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Turrialba versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Turrialba vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Turrialba

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

Same time as Turrialba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,000

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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Turrialba Nosara 220 km

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Turrialba
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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

Turrialba vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,726 in Turrialba, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,589 per month in Turrialba and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Turrialba, 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 $61.0 in Turrialba 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 15% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Turrialba, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Turrialba 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 $1,726 in Turrialba 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 Turrialba. 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.