Nosara vs Santa Teresa
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Nosara edges it, 58 to 56, winning 1 of the 9 factors. Nosara is stronger on getting there & around; Santa Teresa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Guanacaste surf and yoga town in Costa Rica's Blue Zone, at a price
Full Nosara profile →Where to stay in Nosara →Surf beach with villas, yoga and a long dirt road
Full Santa Teresa profile →Where to stay in Santa Teresa →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Nosara | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 39 | 39 |
| Safety | 57 | 57 |
| Healthcare | 82 | 82 |
| Internet | 65 | 67 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 92 | 92 |
| Getting there & around | 39 ✓ | 12 |
| Climate | 17 | 17 |
| Air quality | 67 | 70 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 68 | 68 |
Cost
| Metric | Nosara | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,700 | $1,700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Nosara | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 17.12 | 17.12 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87 | 87 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 84 |
| Life expectancy | 78.6 yrs | 78.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Nosara | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 29.9 Mbps | 34.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps | 11 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Nosara | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) | Remote worker and service provider stay (digital nomad permit) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $3,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Nosara | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 32 ✓ | 2 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Nosara | Santa Teresa |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 2 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20 µg/m³ | 18.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Nosara or Santa Teresa?
- Santa Teresa is cheaper: about $1,700 per month versus $1,700 for one person.
- Is Nosara or Santa Teresa safer?
- Nosara scores higher on safety (57 vs 57), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Nosara or Santa Teresa?
- Santa Teresa: a measured median of 34.4 Mbps versus 29.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Nosara vs Tamarindo
- Nosara vs Uvita
- Santa Teresa vs Boquete
- Santa Teresa vs David (Panama)
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.