Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amstelveen and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,065 in Amstelveen, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Amstelveen
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Amstelveen Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Amstelveen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,065

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,065 per month in Amstelveen vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Amstelveen $3,065
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,295 per month in Amstelveen vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Amstelveen $4,295
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,526 per month in Amstelveen vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Amstelveen $5,526
Nosara $3,818

Amstelveen costs about 67% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Amstelveen and Nosara sit above the global median – Amstelveen by 127%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.32 €21.63

$12.35 ₡5,539

96.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 €75.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

38.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$7.52 ₡3,373

76.99%

Cappuccino

$3.98 €3.54

$4.41 ₡1,978

-9.75%

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

$3.78 €3.36

$1.74 ₡780

117.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.74

$1.31 ₡587

135.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 €4.91

$3.28 ₡1,471

68.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$4.47 ₡2,004

25.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.56 ₡701

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.02 ₡1,355

-49.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.17

$2.51 ₡1,125

41.83%

Eggs

$4.87 €4.33

$3.57 ₡1,603

36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €11.36

$7.43 ₡3,333

71.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.55

$10.52 ₡4,717

34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 €15.08

$13.97 ₡6,265

21.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.35 ₡1,052

-19.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.61 ₡720

50.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 €5.27

$1.61 ₡724

268.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$3.80 ₡1,703

-45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.69 ₡1,657

-50.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.13 ₡507

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 €12.55

$5.18 ₡2,321

172.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 €6.05

$19.88 ₡8,916

-65.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.90 ₡1,300

-51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.41

$3.63 ₡1,626

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 €3.46

$1.12 ₡504

247.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 €63.3

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-2.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.56

$2.14 ₡958

86.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 €2.57

$1.57 ₡703

84.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.69 €26.40

$8.52 ₡3,823

248.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.52 ₡682

55.26%

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

$41.4K €36.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

91.48%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

11.42%

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

$282 €251

$96.3 ₡43.2K

192.68%

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

$23.74 €21.12

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-33.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.75

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.06 €27.62

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-56.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 €48.86

$34.91 ₡15.7K

57.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 €14.63

$7.89 ₡3,539

108.49%

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

$2,347 €2,088

$494 ₡221.6K

375.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K €24.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

127.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 €53.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

10.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 €40.42

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-17.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €79.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

14.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$79.6 ₡35.7K

82.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 €1,980

$788 ₡353.4K

182.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 €1,518

$794 ₡356.2K

114.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,136 €2,789

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-20.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 €2,214

$1,419 ₡636.5K

75.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,191 €7,285

$6,912 ₡3.1M

18.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,126 €5,448

$1,224 ₡549.0K

400.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,644 €4,131

$864 ₡387.3K

437.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

8.62

-50.12%

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

Last update for Amstelveen: 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

Amstelveen

$1.7K 55.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 53.5% $912

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amstelveen

$356 11.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 47.8% $170

Eating Out

Amstelveen

$349 11.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 39.2% $137

Groceries & Markets

Amstelveen

$331 10.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 6.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Amstelveen

$153 5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 21.6% $33

Getting Around

Amstelveen

$105 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 17.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Amstelveen

$64 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,227 in Amstelveen 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 438% higher in Amstelveen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Amstelveen versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $331 in Amstelveen vs $352 in Nosara – so Amstelveen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amstelveen

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

05:29 5:29 AM

8 h behind Amstelveen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,675

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

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Highest

Between locations

Amstelveen Nosara 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Amstelveen
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

Amstelveen vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amstelveen is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,597 per month in Amstelveen 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 2% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,347 per month in Amstelveen and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Amstelveen at $3,065. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amstelveen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amstelveen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.