Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upala and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Upala: $1,439 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Upala
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Upala Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Upala

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,439

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,439 per month in Upala vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Upala $1,439
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $2,252 per month in Upala vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Upala $2,252
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Upala vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Upala $3,065
Nosara $3,820

Upala is about 22% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Upala and Nosara sit above the global median – Upala by 6%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,587

$12.36 ₡5,578

0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-11.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 ₡5,178

$7.88 ₡3,558

45.56%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₡1,656

$4.40 ₡1,987

-16.59%

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

$1.75 ₡790

$1.72 ₡776

1.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₡789

$1.34 ₡603

30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₡1,525

$3.34 ₡1,506

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡1,997

$4.54 ₡2,049

-2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₡984

$1.64 ₡739

32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ₡733

$3.16 ₡1,427

-48.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,085

$2.39 ₡1,080

0.42%

Eggs

$2.70 ₡1,217

$3.47 ₡1,564

-22.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 ₡1,498

$7.13 ₡3,219

-53.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 ₡3,046

$10.32 ₡4,657

-34.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 ₡3,974

$13.97 ₡6,305

-37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₡783

$2.29 ₡1,032

-24.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ₡303

$1.62 ₡732

-58.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 ₡1,306

$4.81 ₡2,171

-39.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,222

$1.68 ₡758

61.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.91 ₡1,766

-4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,226

$3.63 ₡1,641

-25.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡507

$1.13 ₡510

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,168

$2.63 ₡1,188

-1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 ₡2,601

$5.02 ₡2,268

14.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.83 ₡3,988

$19.71 ₡8,897

-55.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,212

$2.91 ₡1,315

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,595

$3.54 ₡1,598

-0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ₡654

$1.21 ₡545

19.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ₡1,069

$2.15 ₡970

10.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡697

$1.63 ₡738

-5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 ₡2,906

$8.77 ₡3,960

-26.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₡643

$1.55 ₡701

-8.39%

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

$33.6K ₡15.2M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-0.78%

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

$41.4K ₡18.7M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

7.63%

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

$56.9 ₡25.7K

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-40.26%

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

$35.83 ₡16.2K

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.24 ₡10.0K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

-57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.5 ₡30.0K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

-1.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ₡3,513

$7.54 ₡3,405

3.18%

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

$969 ₡437.5K

$496 ₡224.1K

95.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

43.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.78 ₡14.8K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

-40.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.09 ₡9,975

$56.1 ₡25.3K

-60.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.9K

$77.8 ₡35.1K

67.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.23 ₡15.0K

$79.1 ₡35.7K

-57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₡387.5K

$817 ₡369.0K

4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₡295.4K

$806 ₡363.8K

-18.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 ₡797.5K

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-55.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 ₡550.0K

$1,429 ₡645.2K

-14.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.9K

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 Upala: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Upala

$654 45.5%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 23.1% $151

Groceries & Markets

Upala

$257 17.8%

Nosara

$351 19% 36.9% $95

Eating Out

Upala

$217 15.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 1.8% $3.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upala

$115 8%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 59.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Upala

$98 6.8%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 22.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Upala

$82 5.7%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 0.7% $0.6

Getting Around

Upala

$16 * 1.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 460% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $858 in Upala 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Upala versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $351 – making Upala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Upala

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Upala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Upala Nosara 120 km

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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

Upala vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,439 in Upala, $1,846 in Nosara – Upala comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,159 per month in Upala 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 $858 in Upala 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 $54 in Upala and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Nosara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,439 in Upala and $1,846 in Nosara. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,439 in Upala to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.