Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athienou and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Athienou: $1,686 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Athienou
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Athienou Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Athienou

🇨🇾 Cyprus

$1,686

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,686 in Athienou versus $1,846 in Nosara.

Athienou $1,686
Nosara $1,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in Athienou versus $2,833 in Nosara.

Athienou $2,591
Nosara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,497 in Athienou versus $3,820 in Nosara.

Athienou $3,497
Nosara $3,820

Living in Athienou costs roughly 9% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athienou 24% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 €11.95

$12.36 ₡5,561

7.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 €46.88

$60.8 ₡27.3K

-13.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 €7.13

$7.88 ₡3,547

0.89%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.31

$4.40 ₡1,981

-16.14%

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

$1.65 €1.48

$1.72 ₡774

-4.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.34 ₡602

-22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.93

$3.34 ₡1,501

-2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.19

$4.54 ₡2,042

2.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.47

$1.64 ₡737

-0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.79

$3.16 ₡1,422

-36.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.68

$2.39 ₡1,077

25.10%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.75

$3.47 ₡1,559

20.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 €11.86

$7.13 ₡3,209

85.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 €7.84

$10.32 ₡4,642

-15.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 €10.46

$13.97 ₡6,285

-16.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.29 ₡1,029

13.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.62 ₡729

45.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 €1.49

$4.81 ₡2,164

-65.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$1.68 ₡756

53.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.27

$3.91 ₡1,760

-63.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$3.63 ₡1,636

-68.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.79

$1.13 ₡508

-22.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €1.00

$2.63 ₡1,185

-57.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 €5.16

$5.02 ₡2,261

14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €7.13

$19.71 ₡8,870

-59.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.91 ₡1,311

-35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.27

$3.54 ₡1,593

-28.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.21 ₡544

92.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.99 €39.46

$73.8 ₡33.2K

-40.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.05 €6.32

$2.15 ₡967

227.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.63 ₡736

40.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.42 €20.11

$8.77 ₡3,948

155.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.55 ₡698

8.39%

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

$31.7K €28.4K

$33.9K ₡15.2M

-6.46%

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

$31.0K €27.8K

$38.5K ₡17.3M

-19.50%

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

$179 €161

$95.2 ₡42.8K

88.21%

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

$17.98 €16.13

$36.29 ₡16.3K

-50.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 €27.01

$52.0 ₡23.4K

-42.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 €62.7

$67.6 ₡30.4K

3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.56 €21.13

$35.55 ₡16.0K

-33.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.08 €9.94

$7.54 ₡3,395

46.95%

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

$382 €342

$496 ₡223.4K

-23.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,361 €6,603

$11.8K ₡5.3M

-37.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 €59.2

$55.1 ₡24.8K

19.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.96 €28.67

$56.1 ₡25.2K

-43.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 €62.3

$77.8 ₡35.0K

-10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 €82.3

$79.1 ₡35.6K

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 €623

$817 ₡367.9K

-15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €613

$806 ₡362.6K

-15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 €1,421

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,154

$1,429 ₡643.2K

-9.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,572 €3,204

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-49.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,493 €2,236

$1,197 ₡538.6K

108.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,075 €1,862

$888 ₡399.7K

133.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

8.62

-54.41%

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

Last update for Athienou: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athienou

$683 40.5%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 17.9% $123

Groceries & Markets

Athienou

$284 16.8%

Nosara

$351 19% 23.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athienou

$227 13.5%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 19.2% $44

Eating Out

Athienou

$211 12.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 1% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Athienou

$117 6.9%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 3.5% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Athienou

$92 5.5%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 10.2% $9.4

Getting Around

Athienou

$72 4.3%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 23.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Athienou and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays about 2.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52 in Athienou vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $351 per month, with Athienou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇾 Athienou

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

8 h behind Athienou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Athienou Nosara 11,910 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Athienou
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

Athienou vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athienou and Nosara differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,686 vs $1,846 including rent). Athienou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Athienou is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $695 in Athienou versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,686 per month in Athienou versus $1,846 in Nosara – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Athienou runs roughly 40% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Athienou gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Athienou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.