Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldas da Rainha and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Caldas da Rainha: $1,532 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Caldas da Rainha
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Caldas da Rainha Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Caldas da Rainha

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,532

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,532 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Caldas da Rainha $1,532
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,352 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Caldas da Rainha $2,352
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,172 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Caldas da Rainha $3,172
Nosara $3,712

Caldas da Rainha is about 17% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Caldas da Rainha and Nosara sit above the global median – Caldas da Rainha by 14%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €14.03

$12.22 ₡5,509

28.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 €45.38

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 €9.12

$7.54 ₡3,399

35.54%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.83

$4.31 ₡1,941

-52.44%

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

$2.36 €2.10

$1.72 ₡773

37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.35 ₡608

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 €2.48

$3.24 ₡1,459

-14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.46

$4.48 ₡2,018

-13.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.57 ₡707

-31.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.28

$3.17 ₡1,429

-54.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$2.42 ₡1,091

-35.54%

Eggs

$3.01 €2.69

$3.57 ₡1,609

-15.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 €9.26

$7.43 ₡3,349

39.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 €6.48

$10.42 ₡4,697

-30.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 €11.44

$13.66 ₡6,156

-6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.32 ₡1,044

-19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.61 ₡728

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$4.74 ₡2,138

-64.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.66 ₡747

48.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$3.72 ₡1,679

-48.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$3.57 ₡1,611

-47.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.10 ₡497

17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €5.12

$4.95 ₡2,232

15.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.95 €3.53

$20.01 ₡9,020

-80.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.79 ₡1,256

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.54

$3.53 ₡1,589

-51.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 €3.27

$1.19 ₡537

208.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.14 €30.46

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-52.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 €2.53

$2.24 ₡1,011

26.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.57 ₡708

21.66%

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

$33.8K €30.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

55.00%

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

$37.7K €33.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

8.95%

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

$108 €96.0

$93.5 ₡42.1K

15.10%

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

$18.14 €16.19

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-48.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.70 €34.54

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-24.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.88 €43.62

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-31.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.78 €24.79

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-21.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 €7.84

$7.84 ₡3,535

11.99%

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

$399 €356

$490 ₡220.7K

-18.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,537 €4,941

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-53.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 €85.5

$53.5 ₡24.1K

78.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 €38.26

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-23.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €100

$79.3 ₡35.7K

41.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.4 €61.1

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €795

$786 ₡354.3K

13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 €599

$780 ₡351.6K

-13.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 €1,251

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-63.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €1,001

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-20.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,845 €2,539

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-59.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 €2,038

$1,201 ₡541.3K

90.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,145 €1,022

$876 ₡395.0K

30.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.11

8.62

-63.92%

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

Last update for Caldas da Rainha: 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

Caldas da Rainha

$671 43.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 16.2% $109

Groceries & Markets

Caldas da Rainha

$230 14.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 52.1% $120

Eating Out

Caldas da Rainha

$218 14.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 3.8% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caldas da Rainha

$164 10.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 9.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Caldas da Rainha

$144 9.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 16.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Caldas da Rainha

$66 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 31.1% $21

Getting Around

Caldas da Rainha

$52 * 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 68.2% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Caldas da Rainha 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.

Salaries run about 31% higher in Caldas da Rainha, 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 $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $350 – making Caldas da Rainha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Caldas da Rainha

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

19:46 7:46 PM

7 h behind Caldas da Rainha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,917

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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Highest

Between locations

Caldas da Rainha Nosara 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Caldas da Rainha
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

Caldas da Rainha vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,298 per month in Caldas da Rainha 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 Caldas da Rainha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,532 in Caldas da Rainha and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 20%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caldas da Rainha, where all-in costs run around $1,532, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Caldas da Rainha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caldas da Rainha – 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 Caldas da Rainha. 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.