Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arcos de Valdevez and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Arcos de Valdevez: $1,540 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Arcos de Valdevez
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Arcos de Valdevez Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Arcos de Valdevez

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,540

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,540 per month in Arcos de Valdevez vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Arcos de Valdevez $1,540
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,260 per month in Arcos de Valdevez vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Arcos de Valdevez $2,260
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,981 per month in Arcos de Valdevez vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Arcos de Valdevez $2,981
Nosara $3,814

Arcos de Valdevez is about 16% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arcos de Valdevez and Nosara sit above the global median – Arcos de Valdevez by 14%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 €8.04

$12.34 ₡5,535

-26.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.22 €37.56

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-31.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 €7.29

$7.76 ₡3,481

5.67%

Cappuccino

$1.82 €1.62

$4.44 ₡1,992

-59.01%

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

$1.49 €1.33

$1.79 ₡803

-16.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.29 ₡580

-11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.24 ₡1,451

-30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.51

$4.43 ₡1,985

-36.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.55 ₡696

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.58

$3.08 ₡1,380

-42.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$2.53 ₡1,133

-44.27%

Eggs

$2.27 €2.02

$3.45 ₡1,546

-34.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 €7.73

$7.32 ₡3,284

18.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.11 €7.21

$10.24 ₡4,594

-20.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 €12.75

$14.10 ₡6,326

1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.70

$2.29 ₡1,027

-16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.64 ₡737

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 €1.56

$4.79 ₡2,149

-63.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.64 ₡735

39.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$3.85 ₡1,727

-52.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.47

$3.75 ₡1,681

-55.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.09 ₡488

-6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.52

$2.59 ₡1,160

-77.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €5.11

$5.12 ₡2,295

12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.42 €3.93

$19.92 ₡8,931

-77.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$2.80 ₡1,255

-59.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$3.52 ₡1,580

-51.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.22 ₡549

84.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.01 €37.37

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-43.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$2.17 ₡973

107.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.56 ₡698

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.86 €18.55

$8.67 ₡3,886

140.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.55 ₡697

38.06%

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

$27.5K €24.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.40%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-2.27%

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

$101 €90.0

$94.8 ₡42.5K

6.64%

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

$16.68 €14.84

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-53.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.36 €29.67

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-37.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 €36.73

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 €14.60

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-53.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 €7.83

$7.91 ₡3,548

11.25%

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

$458 €408

$490 ₡219.9K

-6.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,421 €5,711

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-45.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €84.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

73.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.80 €31.85

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-35.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 €68.0

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 €855

$801 ₡359.1K

20.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 €670

$790 ₡354.1K

-4.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,351

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-62.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,061

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-15.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,051 €2,714

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-56.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,210 €1,966

$1,236 ₡554.3K

78.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,919 €1,707

$887 ₡397.6K

116.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

8.62

-57.08%

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

Last update for Arcos de Valdevez: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arcos de Valdevez

$753 48.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 4.8% $36

Groceries & Markets

Arcos de Valdevez

$228 14.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 53.1% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arcos de Valdevez

$151 9.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 21.7% $33

Eating Out

Arcos de Valdevez

$146 9.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 45.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Arcos de Valdevez

$139 9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 13% $18

Getting Around

Arcos de Valdevez

$63 4.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 41.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Arcos de Valdevez

$59 3.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 52.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $961 in Arcos de Valdevez versus $801 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 116% higher in Arcos de Valdevez, 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 $42.00 in Arcos de Valdevez versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $350 – making Arcos de Valdevez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Arcos de Valdevez

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:41 11:41 PM

16:41 4:41 PM

7 h behind Arcos de Valdevez

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,720

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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Arcos de Valdevez Nosara 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Arcos de Valdevez
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

Arcos de Valdevez vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 19% more than Arcos de Valdevez, 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 $2,310 per month in Arcos de Valdevez and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $458 per month in Arcos de Valdevez and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% 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 Arcos de Valdevez, where all-in costs run around $1,540, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Arcos de Valdevez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arcos de Valdevez costs $1,540 versus $1,835 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 Arcos de Valdevez. 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.