Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambert and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $1,956 in Ambert, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ambert
🇫🇷 France
$1,956
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,956 in Ambert versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Ambert $1,956
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,871 in Ambert versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Ambert $2,871
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,785 in Ambert versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Ambert $3,785
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Ambert is roughly 6% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ambert 45% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79 €14.94
$12.35 ₡5,539
35.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.6 €64.5
$61.2 ₡27.4K
18.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.92 €14.16
$7.52 ₡3,373
111.70%
Cappuccino
$3.63 €3.23
$4.41 ₡1,978
-17.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.65
$1.74 ₡780
71.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.31 ₡587
53.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$3.28 ₡1,471
75.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 €3.89
$4.47 ₡2,004
-2.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.56 ₡701
-13.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 €2.00
$3.02 ₡1,355
-25.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$2.51 ₡1,125
4.38%
Eggs
$3.71 €3.30
$3.57 ₡1,603
3.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.56 €16.51
$7.43 ₡3,333
149.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.02 €12.47
$10.52 ₡4,717
33.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.98 €22.22
$13.97 ₡6,265
78.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.96 €2.63
$2.35 ₡1,052
25.96%
Banana (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$1.61 ₡720
53.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.84 €2.52
$4.80 ₡2,152
-40.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.78 €3.37
$1.61 ₡724
134.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$3.80 ₡1,703
-35.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.94 €2.61
$3.69 ₡1,657
-20.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.13 ₡507
54.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 €0.58
$2.66 ₡1,191
-75.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.05 €12.50
$5.18 ₡2,321
171.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 €6.82
$19.88 ₡8,916
-61.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.82 €3.39
$2.90 ₡1,300
31.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 €2.51
$3.63 ₡1,626
-22.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.12 ₡504
57.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.78 €38.05
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-41.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.13 €4.56
$2.14 ₡958
139.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.57 ₡703
3.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.42 €29.73
$8.52 ₡3,823
292.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.95
$1.52 ₡682
44.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.7K €30.9K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
60.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K €31.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
1.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 €195
$96.3 ₡43.2K
127.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.86 €15.00
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-53.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.50 €28.91
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-39.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.52 €31.60
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-50.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.08 €12.53
$7.89 ₡3,539
78.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$740 €658
$494 ₡221.6K
49.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.5K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
8.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.0 €79.2
$53.9 ₡24.2K
65.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.8 €56.7
$55.4 ₡24.8K
15.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.6
$77.9 ₡34.9K
33.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$176 €157
$79.6 ₡35.7K
121.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$856 €762
$788 ₡353.4K
8.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$693 €616
$794 ₡356.2K
-12.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,345 €1,196
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-65.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$967 €860
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-31.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,832 €3,408
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-44.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,648 €2,356
$1,224 ₡549.0K
116.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ambert
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
8.62
-55.80%

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

Last update for Ambert: 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
Ambert
$693
Nosara
$794 14.6% $101
Groceries & Markets
Ambert
$390
Nosara
$352 9.7% $38
Eating Out
Ambert
$283
Nosara
$212 25.2% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambert
$268
Nosara
$186 30.8% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Ambert
$195
Nosara
$120 38.4% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Ambert
$64
Nosara
$87 37.2% $24
Getting Around
Ambert
$63
Nosara
$87 38% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $856 in Ambert and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Ambert vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Ambert
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
17:30 5:30 PM
09:30 9:30 AM
8 h behind Ambert
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,700
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ambert Nosara 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ambert
  • 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
Ambert vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ambert and in Nosara?
Ambert and Nosara differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,956 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ambert compared to Nosara?
You'd need roughly $2,934 in Ambert and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Ambert and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $856 in Ambert 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 11% higher in Ambert. 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 $73.0 in Ambert. 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 $1,956 in Ambert, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ambert. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ambert 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 Ambert or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ambert 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: Ambert or Nosara?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Ambert. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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