Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yap and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Yap and in Nosara: $1,895 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Yap

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,895

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Yap vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Yap $1,895
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,509 per month in Yap vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Yap $2,509
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,123 per month in Yap vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Yap $3,123
Nosara $3,712

Yap costs about 3% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Yap and Nosara sit above the global median – Yap by 41%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.38 $30.38

$12.22 ₡5,509

148.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 $60.5

$60.2 ₡27.1K

0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.41 $4.41

$4.31 ₡1,941

2.32%

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

$1.78 $1.78

$1.72 ₡773

3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.17 ₡1,429

84.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.42 ₡1,091

87.19%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$7.43 ₡3,349

-31.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$13.66 ₡6,156

-55.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.32 ₡1,044

84.91%

Banana (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.61 ₡728

178.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.74 ₡2,138

-7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.66 ₡747

163.25%

Potato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.72 ₡1,679

42.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.57 ₡1,611

-54.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.55 ₡1,149

-40.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.79 ₡1,256

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.53 ₡1,589

-15.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.19 ₡537

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.86 $21.86

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-69.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 $7.46

$2.24 ₡1,011

233.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$8.86 ₡3,993

-42.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.57 ₡708

-1.27%

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

$3,992 $3,992

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-81.69%

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

$3,976 $3,976

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-88.52%

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

$79.8 $79.8

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-14.65%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.9 $79.9

$51.5 ₡23.2K

55.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.41 $24.41

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-54.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.0 $76.0

$55.8 ₡25.1K

36.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$79.3 ₡35.7K

2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$78.9 ₡35.6K

50.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 $987

$786 ₡354.3K

25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 $994

$780 ₡351.6K

27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 $1,018

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-73.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 $995

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-29.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,490 $1,490

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-78.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$995 $995

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-17.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 $262

$876 ₡395.0K

-70.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

400000

8.62

4640271.23%

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

Last update for Yap: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yap

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Yap

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Yap

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yap

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Yap

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Yap

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Yap

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $987 in Yap versus $786 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 234% higher in Nosara, 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 $60.0 in Yap versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $350 – making Yap the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Yap

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

19:05 7:05 PM

16 h behind Yap

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,577

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yap Nosara 14,700 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Yap
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

Yap vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,895 in Yap, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,843 per month in Yap and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 230% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 34% cheaper in Yap – 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 Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Yap at $1,895. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yap 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $1,895 in Yap. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yap makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.