Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcoy and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcoy: $1,558 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Alcoy
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Alcoy Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Alcoy

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,558

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,558 per month in Alcoy vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Alcoy $1,558
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,293 per month in Alcoy vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Alcoy $2,293
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,028 per month in Alcoy vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Alcoy $3,028
Nosara $3,818

Alcoy is about 15% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alcoy and Nosara sit above the global median – Alcoy by 15%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 €8.97

$12.35 ₡5,539

-18.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €50.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-8.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 €11.59

$7.52 ₡3,373

73.27%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.63

$4.41 ₡1,978

-58.50%

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

$1.69 €1.51

$1.74 ₡780

-2.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.31 ₡587

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.28 ₡1,471

1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$4.47 ₡2,004

-45.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.32

$3.02 ₡1,355

-50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.51 ₡1,125

-45.82%

Eggs

$3.37 €3.00

$3.57 ₡1,603

-5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 €11.97

$7.43 ₡3,333

81.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 €7.42

$10.52 ₡4,717

-20.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 €13.99

$13.97 ₡6,265

12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.35 ₡1,052

11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.61 ₡720

29.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$4.80 ₡2,152

-61.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.61 ₡724

59.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.80 ₡1,703

-51.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$3.69 ₡1,657

-44.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.13 ₡507

17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 €5.55

$5.18 ₡2,321

20.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.11

$19.88 ₡8,916

-71.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.09

$2.90 ₡1,300

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$3.63 ₡1,626

-61.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.12 ₡504

47.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.06 €29.41

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-54.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.66

$2.14 ₡958

92.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.57 ₡703

-8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.58 €20.09

$8.52 ₡3,823

165.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.52 ₡682

18.42%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

63.20%

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

$29.4K €26.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-14.73%

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

$146 €130

$96.3 ₡43.2K

51.33%

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

$18.03 €16.04

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-49.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 €26.44

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-44.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 €39.80

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 €13.93

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-55.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 €8.00

$7.89 ₡3,539

13.94%

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

$473 €421

$494 ₡221.6K

-4.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,402 €7,474

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-29.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €75.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

56.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.40 €32.37

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-34.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 €81.0

$77.9 ₡34.9K

16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €97.9

$79.6 ₡35.7K

38.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 €804

$788 ₡353.4K

14.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 €596

$794 ₡356.2K

-15.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 €1,185

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-66.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 €887

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-29.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,340 €2,971

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-51.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,198 €1,955

$1,224 ₡549.0K

79.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 €1,675

$864 ₡387.3K

118.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

8.62

-61.72%

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

Last update for Alcoy: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alcoy

$670 43%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 18.6% $124

Groceries & Markets

Alcoy

$261 16.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.8% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alcoy

$193 12.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 4% $7.7

Eating Out

Alcoy

$175 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 21% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Alcoy

$145 9.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Alcoy

$63 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 39.3% $25

Getting Around

Alcoy

$51 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 71% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Alcoy versus $788 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 118% higher in Alcoy, 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 $56.0 in Alcoy versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $352 – making Alcoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Alcoy

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

8 h behind Alcoy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,493

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alcoy Nosara 8,900 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Alcoy
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

Alcoy vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,558 in Alcoy, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,338 per month in Alcoy and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 35% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Alcoy and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alcoy, where all-in costs run around $1,558, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Alcoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $1,558 in Alcoy to $1,839 in Nosara. 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 Alcoy. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.