Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Azores and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in the Azores: $1,594 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in the Azores
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Azores Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Azores

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,594

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,594 per month in the Azores vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Azores $1,594
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in the Azores vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Azores $2,371
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,148 per month in the Azores vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Azores $3,148
Nosara $3,712

Azores is about 13% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Azores and Nosara sit above the global median – Azores by 19%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 €10.15

$12.22 ₡5,509

-6.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 €42.03

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €8.21

$7.54 ₡3,399

22.02%

Cappuccino

$2.16 €1.93

$4.31 ₡1,941

-49.88%

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

$1.92 €1.71

$1.72 ₡773

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.35 ₡608

1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €2.02

$3.24 ₡1,459

-30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.09

$4.48 ₡2,018

-22.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.94

$1.57 ₡707

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.42

$3.17 ₡1,429

-49.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.42 ₡1,091

-33.47%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.79

$3.57 ₡1,609

-12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 €10.05

$7.43 ₡3,349

51.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 €7.04

$10.42 ₡4,697

-24.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 €12.77

$13.66 ₡6,156

4.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$2.32 ₡1,044

1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.61 ₡728

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$4.74 ₡2,138

-60.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$1.66 ₡747

49.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$3.72 ₡1,679

-58.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$3.57 ₡1,611

-48.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.10 ₡497

48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.71

$2.55 ₡1,149

-69.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.21 €5.55

$4.95 ₡2,232

25.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 €4.55

$20.01 ₡9,020

-74.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$2.79 ₡1,256

-55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.12

$3.53 ₡1,589

-32.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.04

$1.19 ₡537

91.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.69 €37.20

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-42.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 €3.65

$2.24 ₡1,011

82.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.55 ₡701

-47.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 €15.19

$8.86 ₡3,993

92.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.57 ₡708

26.75%

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

$34.5K €30.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

58.43%

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

$40.1K €35.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

15.64%

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

$135 €120

$93.5 ₡42.1K

43.99%

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

$21.16 €18.89

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-39.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.52 €37.94

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-17.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.82 €40.00

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-37.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 €15.46

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-51.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.36 €7.46

$7.84 ₡3,535

6.63%

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

$462 €412

$490 ₡220.7K

-5.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,431 €7,524

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-29.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 €65.3

$53.5 ₡24.1K

36.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 €33.99

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-31.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €82.1

$79.3 ₡35.7K

16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 €83.6

$78.9 ₡35.6K

18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 €819

$786 ₡354.3K

16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 €664

$780 ₡351.6K

-4.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 €1,337

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-61.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 €1,020

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-18.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,018 €2,693

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-56.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 €2,059

$1,201 ₡541.3K

92.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

8.62

-41.88%

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

Last update for the Azores: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Azores

$744 46%

Nosara

$780 43% 4.8% $36

Groceries & Markets

Azores

$247 15.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 41.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Azores

$198 12.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 9.2% $18

Eating Out

Azores

$176 10.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 19.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Azores

$134 8.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 9.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Azores

$62 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 41.5% $26

Getting Around

Azores

$59 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 47.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in the Azores versus $786 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 $47.00 in the Azores versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $350 – making Azores the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Azores

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

6 h behind the Azores

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

236,657

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Azores Nosara 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Azores
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

Azores vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,391 per month in the Azores and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 41% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in the Azores and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in the Azores, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Azores it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward the Azores – 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 the Azores. 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.