Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amersfoort and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Amersfoort: $1,065 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Amersfoort
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Amersfoort Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Amersfoort

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,065

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,065 per month in Amersfoort vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Amersfoort $1,065
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,645 per month in Amersfoort vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Amersfoort $1,645
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,224 per month in Amersfoort vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Amersfoort $2,224
Nosara $3,818

Amersfoort is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Amersfoort sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.82 R 145

$12.35 ₡5,539

-28.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.82 R 607

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-39.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 R 90.4

$7.52 ₡3,373

-26.99%

Cappuccino

$2.30 R 37.85

$4.41 ₡1,978

-47.85%

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

$1.05 R 17.24

$1.74 ₡780

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.65

$1.31 ₡587

-36.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 R 41.07

$3.28 ₡1,471

-24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 R 51.4

$4.47 ₡2,004

-30.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.84

$1.56 ₡701

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.59

$3.02 ₡1,355

-62.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.04

$2.51 ₡1,125

-29.88%

Eggs

$2.26 R 37.27

$3.57 ₡1,603

-36.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.20 R 69.2

$7.43 ₡3,333

-43.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 R 81.8

$10.52 ₡4,717

-52.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.26 R 70.1

$13.97 ₡6,265

-69.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.34

$2.35 ₡1,052

-24.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.23

$1.61 ₡720

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.22

$4.80 ₡2,152

-64.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.44

$1.61 ₡724

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 R 18.18

$3.80 ₡1,703

-71.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 20.00

$3.69 ₡1,657

-67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 R 19.09

$1.13 ₡507

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.88

$2.66 ₡1,191

-52.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.40 R 23.06

$5.18 ₡2,321

-72.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$1.87 R 30.87

$19.88 ₡8,916

-90.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.06

$2.90 ₡1,300

-47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R 32.34

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 R 24.22

$1.12 ₡504

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.75

$2.14 ₡958

-86.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R 13.12

$1.57 ₡703

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.19 R 234

$8.52 ₡3,823

66.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 R 24.64

$1.52 ₡682

-1.32%

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

$36.1K R 594.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.97%

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

$33.9K R 558.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.74%

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

$152 R 2,508

$96.3 ₡43.2K

58.08%

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

$37.26 R 614

$35.89 ₡16.1K

3.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.10 R 595

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-32.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R 520

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-55.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 R 180

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-68.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 R 120

$7.89 ₡3,539

-7.60%

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

$266 R 4,381

$494 ₡221.6K

-46.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,365 R 88.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-54.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 R 863

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.89 R 525

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-42.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 R 1,520

$77.9 ₡34.9K

18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 R 1,347

$79.6 ₡35.7K

2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R 6,518

$788 ₡353.4K

-49.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 R 5,972

$794 ₡356.2K

-54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 R 11.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 R 12.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-48.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$863 R 14.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-87.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$656 R 10.8K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-46.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.62

31.55%

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

Last update for Amersfoort: 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

Amersfoort

$362 34%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 119% $432

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amersfoort

$226 21.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 17.7% $40

Groceries & Markets

Amersfoort

$164 15.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 115% $188

Eating Out

Amersfoort

$141 13.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 50.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Amersfoort

$116 10.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Amersfoort

$46 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 89.3% $41

Getting Around

Amersfoort

$10 * 1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 758% $77

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $396 in Amersfoort 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Amersfoort versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $352 – making Amersfoort the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Amersfoort

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

8 h behind Amersfoort

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,335

4,912

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Amersfoort Nosara 13,030 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Amersfoort
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

Amersfoort vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 73% more than Amersfoort, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,598 per month in Amersfoort 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 Amersfoort, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Amersfoort and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 115% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Amersfoort, where all-in costs run around $1,065, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Amersfoort it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amersfoort costs $1,065 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Amersfoort. 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.