Nosara: surf, yoga and dirt roads on the Nicoya coast
What it costs, how safe it is, and whether it works for retirees in this spread-out jungle beach town in Guanacaste.
- 9,412
- Population (2022)
- $2,500/mo
- Monthly budget · single
- 81°F / 27°C
- Avg temperature
Budget about $2,500 a month for one person in Nosara and about $3,500 for a couple, rent included. A one-bedroom near the center runs around $1,250, or closer to $900 a little inland, and a family of four should plan on roughly $5,000. Treat those as midpoints: for a town this small our estimates are rough, and a single person's month can land anywhere from $1,900 to $3,100.
Nosara suits people who want their days built around surf, yoga and jungle, and who don't mind a dirt road home. Remote workers with a solid connection do well here, and so do healthy early retirees who are comfortable driving.
Here's the catch: Nosara isn't the sleepy village its reputation suggests. A November 2025 university study put its homicide rate among the highest in Costa Rica, driven by gangs fighting over the local drug market, and our safety index for the town is 44. Add an hour-plus drive to the nearest public hospital, and it's a poor fit for anyone who needs easy medical access.
Reviewed and updated November 3, 2026 · 4 min read
At a glance
$2,500
Monthly budget · single person
$1,250/mo 1-bed rent, center
44/100
Safety index
$60
Internet / month
81°Fannual average
Oct 79° · Mar 84°
Climate
9,412
Population (2022)
Expatsi estimates, updated Nov 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting. Coverage here is thin, so treat these as a rough guide.
Cost of living
What it costs to live in Nosara
Single person
$1,900–$3,100/mo
about 20% below Austin, TX
Couple
$2,600–$4,400/mo
about 25% below Austin, TX
Family of four
$3,900–$6,200/mo
about 35% below Austin, TX
Compared with Austin, TX (Expatsi estimate, 2026).
- $11 −45%
- Inexpensive meal
- $950–$1,550/mo −36%
- 1-bed rent, center
- $700–$1,100/mo −33%
- 1-bed rent, outside
- $60/mo −8%
- Internet
Expatsi estimates, updated Nov 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting. Coverage here is thin, so treat these as a rough guide.
Daily life
How Nosara lives
- C grade, 13th percentile among the cities we track
- Dining & cafésmodest
- C grade, 5th percentile among the cities we track
- Arts & culturemodest
- C- grade, 4th percentile among the cities we track
- Parks & outdoorsmodest
- C- grade, 1st percentile among the cities we track
- Schools & educationmodest
- C grade, 5th percentile among the cities we track
- Healthcare accessmodest
- B- grade, 38th percentile among the cities we track
- Bike infrastructuretypical
- C grade, 9th percentile among the cities we track
- Public transitmodest
Graded on OpenStreetMap amenity density relative to the 442 cities we track. Accessibility is the exception: it's graded against a fixed standard (terrain steepness and sidewalk surfaces), not a curve.
Climate
Weather through the year
Annual average 81°F (27°C) · 120 in of rain a year · Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (temps: ERA5-Land 0.1°; precip/sunshine: ERA5 best-match; 1991-2020 normals)
On the ground
Scenes from Nosara
Photos by Wikimedia Commons contributors; open any photo for its credit and license.
Getting around
Transport in Nosara
Nosara isn't one compact town. It's a loose spread of neighborhoods along the coast and up into the hills, with Playa Guiones as the busy middle. Live in Guiones and you can walk to most things, beach included. Live anywhere else and you'll be driving.
Many local roads are still dirt, rutted and potholed, though they're better than they used to be. ATVs are the classic local ride and you can rent one in town. Tuk-tuk taxis are easy to flag down and take cash only.
The rainy months, roughly May through November, change the math. A 4x4 with real ground clearance stops being a luxury, especially on steeper side roads, and some stretches can become impassable after heavy rain.
So do you need a car? Yes, unless you're happy staying within walking distance of Guiones. Liberia's international airport, the usual way in from the U.S., is about two and a half hours away, and San José's is about five. A small paved airstrip a couple of miles inland handles domestic flights.
- 0.4/sq mi
- Transit stops
- 0.9/sq mi
- Bike infrastructure
- 0.0/sq mi
- Wheelchair-accessible places
Mapped features per square mile from OpenStreetMap.
Keep exploring
Places like Nosara
Living here
Community and practical notes
The expat scene: Nosara draws a mix of Costa Ricans and foreigners from all over, and the social life runs on surf sessions, yoga studios and wellness retreats rather than nightlife. People who love it describe it as quiet and close-knit. People who leave often say it was too quiet, with fewer shops and services than they expected for the prices.
Healthcare: There's no hospital in Nosara. Several private clinics around Guiones handle consultations, urgent care and lab work, and there are pharmacies and dentists in town. The nearest public hospital is Hospital de La Anexión in Nicoya, an hour or more by road, and Liberia's hospital is about two and a half hours. The local public EBAIS clinic has a history of staffing gaps, so most expats with residency join the Caja and also carry private coverage. For emergencies, dial 911.
Water: Supply is handled by local community water boards (ASADAs), and shortages have been a recurring problem. When you rent or buy, ask which ASADA serves the property and whether it has a storage tank.
Remote work: Internet runs about $60 a month, and a local real estate firm reports fiber in most of the main neighborhoods. There are coworking spaces in town. Check the connection at the exact address before signing a lease, and keep a local SIM as a hotspot backup.
Schools: Del Mar Academy, a bilingual International Baccalaureate school, is the name families moving here mention first. Visit and ask about waitlists before you commit to a rental.
Limited mobility: Nosara is hard going. Most roads are dirt, many homes sit up steep side roads, beach access is sand, and there's no accessible transit to fall back on. If mobility is a factor, look for a home in Guiones on a paved stretch, ask about step-free entry and parking, and budget for private transport and that hospital drive.
LGBTQ expats: Costa Rica recognizes same-sex marriage, and Nosara's international wellness crowd is generally relaxed. Small-town discretion still applies, as it does across rural Guanacaste.
Black Americans: We couldn't find Nosara-specific accounts from Black American residents. Costa Rica's long-established Afro-Costa Rican community is centered on the Caribbean coast around Limón, far from here, so expect to be one of few Black residents in town. Talk to people living here before you move.
Retirement: Nosara can work for active, healthy retirees who want a beach routine and don't need a specialist nearby. Costa Rica's pensionado visa runs on a lifetime pension, and you can compare it with other retirement visas and read our full guide to moving to Costa Rica. Weigh the roads, the safety picture and the hospital drive honestly, because each matters more every decade.
Housing
Renting and buying
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $950–$1,550/mo
- 1-bed rent (outside center)
- $700–$1,100/mo
Expatsi estimates, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting. Coverage here is thin, so treat these as a rough guide.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a car to live in Nosara?
Almost certainly. Only Playa Guiones is walkable, and most local roads are dirt. Residents rely on SUVs and ATVs, and from May through November a 4x4 with good ground clearance is close to essential. Tuk-tuk taxis cover short trips and take cash only.
Is the internet in Nosara good enough for remote work?
Usually, if you pick your address carefully. Home internet costs about $60 a month, and a local real estate firm reports fiber in most of the main neighborhoods. Test the connection at the exact property before signing a lease, and keep a local SIM as a backup.
Is there a hospital in Nosara?
No. Nosara has private clinics, pharmacies and dentists, but the nearest public hospital is Hospital de La Anexión in Nicoya, an hour or more by road. The hospital in Liberia is about two and a half hours away, and complex care often means San José, about five hours by car.
When is the rainy season in Nosara?
Roughly May through November, with September and October the wettest months. December through April is the dry season, when it barely rains at all. Some dirt roads can become impassable after heavy rain, so plan travel and deliveries around the weather.
Is Nosara safe for Americans?
It's less safe than its laid-back image suggests. A November 2025 study from Costa Rica's Universidad Nacional found Nosara has one of the highest homicide rates in the country, mostly tied to gangs fighting over the local drug market. Take it seriously: choose housing with good security, stay well away from the drug scene, and ask residents which areas they're comfortable in.
How do you get to Nosara from the United States?
Most people fly into Liberia's international airport (LIR) and drive about two and a half hours, the last stretch on dirt roads. Flying into San José means about a five-hour drive, or a short domestic flight to Nosara's small airstrip.
Can you retire in Nosara, Costa Rica?
Yes, if you're healthy, active and comfortable driving rough roads. Many retirees use Costa Rica's pensionado visa, which is based on a lifetime pension. The trade-offs are real: no hospital in town, dirt roads that get worse in the rainy season, and a homicide rate among the highest in the country.
How much does it cost to live in Nosara, Costa Rica?
Plan on about $2,500 a month for one person and about $3,500 for a couple, including rent. A family of four should budget around $5,000. A one-bedroom near the center rents for about $1,250 a month. These are rough estimates for a small town, so a single person's real budget can run from about $1,900 to $3,100.
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Photos: “Nosara” by Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · “Fisherman playa Nosara” by Carlos Adampol Galindo, CC BY-SA 2.0 · “Nosara Beach Costa Rica - panoramio” by Erick Hidalgo, CC BY 3.0 · “Sunset in Nosara Beach - panoramio” by Erick Hidalgo, CC BY 3.0 · “27732- Epic pacific beach at Refugio Nacional Ostional” by Panegyrics of Granovetter, CC BY-SA 2.0