Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Afula and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,723 in Afula, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Afula
🇮🇱 Israel
$2,723
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,723 in Afula versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Afula $2,723
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,065 in Afula versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Afula $4,065
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,408 in Afula versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Afula $5,408
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Afula is roughly 48% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Afula 102% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Afula
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.68 ₪79.4
$12.35 ₡5,547
107.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.5 ₪280
$61.2 ₡27.5K
47.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.12 ₪53.0
$7.52 ₡3,377
127.66%
Cappuccino
$4.56 ₪14.11
$4.41 ₡1,981
3.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.99 ₪12.33
$1.74 ₡781
129.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 ₪8.57
$1.31 ₡588
111.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.15 ₪28.30
$3.28 ₡1,473
178.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.11 ₪18.89
$4.47 ₡2,007
36.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Afula
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.67 ₪8.27
$1.56 ₡702
71.15%
White Bread (500g)
$3.27 ₪10.12
$3.02 ₡1,357
8.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.32 ₪10.27
$2.51 ₡1,127
32.27%
Eggs
$4.51 ₪13.94
$3.57 ₡1,605
26.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.23 ₪40.94
$7.43 ₡3,338
78.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$19.19 ₪59.4
$10.52 ₡4,724
82.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.34 ₪81.5
$13.97 ₡6,274
88.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 ₪10.28
$2.35 ₡1,054
41.28%
Banana (1kg)
$2.95 ₪9.12
$1.61 ₡721
83.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 ₪6.89
$4.80 ₡2,155
-53.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.63 ₪5.05
$1.61 ₡725
1.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 ₪4.98
$3.80 ₡1,706
-57.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 ₪4.83
$3.69 ₡1,659
-57.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.95 ₪6.03
$1.13 ₡507
72.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 ₪7.63
$2.66 ₡1,193
-7.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.47 ₪47.84
$5.18 ₡2,324
198.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.64 ₪39.11
$19.88 ₡8,929
-36.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.79 ₪14.83
$2.90 ₡1,302
65.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08 ₪12.62
$3.63 ₡1,628
12.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Afula
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.59 ₪8.01
$1.12 ₡505
131.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.9 ₪309
$72.6 ₡32.6K
37.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 ₪12.26
$2.14 ₡959
85.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.18 ₪3.66
$1.57 ₡704
-24.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.30 ₪59.7
$8.52 ₡3,828
126.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.47 ₪7.64
$1.52 ₡683
62.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$57.0K ₪176.3K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
163.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$59.7K ₪184.7K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
72.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Afula
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$277 ₪857
$96.3 ₡43.2K
187.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.96 ₪37.01
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-66.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.17 ₪81.0
$53.6 ₡24.1K
-51.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Afula
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.4 ₪243
$71.6 ₡32.2K
9.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.19 ₪71.7
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-33.57%
Cinema Ticket
$12.29 ₪38.01
$7.89 ₡3,544
55.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Afula
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,143 ₪3,534
$494 ₡221.9K
131.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K ₪87.6K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
138.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Afula
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 ₪162
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-2.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$64.0 ₪198
$55.4 ₡24.9K
15.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 ₪384
$77.9 ₡35.0K
59.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 ₪462
$79.6 ₡35.8K
87.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Afula
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 ₪4,548
$788 ₡353.9K
86.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,153 ₪3,567
$794 ₡356.7K
45.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,340 ₪7,239
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-40.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,913 ₪5,919
$1,419 ₡637.4K
34.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,416 ₪29.1K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
36.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,080 ₪25.0K
$1,224 ₡549.8K
560.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Afula
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,283 ₪10.2K
$864 ₡387.8K
280.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
8.62
-53.02%

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

Last update for Afula: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Afula
$1.2K
Nosara
$794 31.1% $359
Groceries & Markets
Afula
$460
Nosara
$352 23.3% $107
Eating Out
Afula
$396
Nosara
$212 46.6% $185
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Afula
$315
Nosara
$186 41.1% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Afula
$175
Nosara
$120 31.5% $55
Getting Around
Afula
$120
Nosara
$87 27.5% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Afula
$103
Nosara
$87 15.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Afula and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Afula pays 280% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Afula vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $460 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇱 Afula
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
11:37 11:37 AM
02:37 2:37 AM
9 h behind Afula
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
53,958
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.09 ILS (1 ILS = 0.323 USD). 1 EUR = 3.48 ILS (1 ILS = 0.287 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Afula Nosara 12,170 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Afula
  • 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
Afula vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Afula and in Nosara?
Afula and Nosara differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,723 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Afula or Nosara?
Average pay runs 280% higher in Afula, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Afula and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,470 in Afula versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Afula. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $90.0 in Afula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,723 in Afula, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Afula. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Afula and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Afula or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Afula and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Afula or Nosara?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Afula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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