Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Athens and in Nosara: $1,806 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Athens $1,806
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Athens $2,731
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Athens $3,656
Nosara $3,712

Living in Athens costs roughly 2% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 35% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.85

$12.22 ₡5,509

36.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

9.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.86

$7.54 ₡3,399

46.68%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$4.31 ₡1,941

-3.94%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$1.72 ₡773

62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.35 ₡608

-57.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$3.24 ₡1,459

74.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.86

$4.48 ₡2,018

21.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.57 ₡707

24.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.25

$3.17 ₡1,429

-55.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$2.42 ₡1,091

16.94%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.49

$3.57 ₡1,609

41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.68

$7.43 ₡3,349

106.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.22

$10.42 ₡4,697

-0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.92

$13.66 ₡6,156

38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.32 ₡1,044

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.61 ₡728

18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$4.74 ₡2,138

-70.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.66 ₡747

32.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$3.72 ₡1,679

-70.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$3.57 ₡1,611

-68.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$4.95 ₡2,232

13.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.08

$20.01 ₡9,020

-49.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.79 ₡1,256

-21.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$3.53 ₡1,589

-30.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.19 ₡537

15.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.52

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-57.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$2.24 ₡1,011

95.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.55 ₡701

-32.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.26

$8.86 ₡3,993

93.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.57 ₡708

47.13%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

28.34%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-19.12%

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

$210 €187

$93.5 ₡42.1K

124.45%

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

$26.70 €23.80

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-23.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.86

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-41.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.68

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-23.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.21

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-26.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.61

$7.84 ₡3,535

37.50%

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

$575 €513

$490 ₡220.7K

17.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

10.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

74.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.27

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.8

$79.3 ₡35.7K

31.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$78.9 ₡35.6K

62.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$786 ₡354.3K

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$780 ₡351.6K

-16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,153

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-66.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,037

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-17.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,574

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-42.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,078

$1,201 ₡541.3K

187.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,109

$876 ₡395.0K

41.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

8.62

-48.03%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 19.5% $128

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 11.1% $35

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 22.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 32.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 27% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 14.3% $11

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 89.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Athens vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $350, with Athens cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

18:28 6:28 PM

9 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Nosara 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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

Athens vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Athens, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Athens versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens 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.

Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.