Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cavan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,462 in Cavan, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cavan
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,462
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in Cavan versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Cavan $2,462
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,757 in Cavan versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Cavan $3,757
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,052 in Cavan versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Cavan $5,052
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Cavan is roughly 34% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cavan 82% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.46 €14.64
$12.35 ₡5,539
33.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.9 €79.1
$61.2 ₡27.4K
45.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.94 €15.06
$7.52 ₡3,373
125.27%
Cappuccino
$3.38 €3.01
$4.41 ₡1,978
-23.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 €2.90
$1.74 ₡780
87.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.31 ₡587
50.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.12 €5.44
$3.28 ₡1,471
86.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.70 €5.96
$4.47 ₡2,004
49.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.56 ₡701
-23.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 €1.95
$3.02 ₡1,355
-27.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 €1.40
$2.51 ₡1,125
-37.05%
Eggs
$4.29 €3.82
$3.57 ₡1,603
20.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.36 €11.88
$7.43 ₡3,333
79.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.58 €13.86
$10.52 ₡4,717
48.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.23 €9.10
$13.97 ₡6,265
-26.77%
Apples (1kg)
$5.62 €5.00
$2.35 ₡1,052
139.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$1.61 ₡720
67.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.85 €6.09
$4.80 ₡2,152
42.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.76 €4.24
$1.61 ₡724
195.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 €2.46
$3.80 ₡1,703
-27.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 €1.02
$3.69 ₡1,657
-68.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.13 ₡507
7.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.98
$2.66 ₡1,191
-58.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.22 €16.21
$5.18 ₡2,321
251.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.32 €11.84
$19.88 ₡8,916
-33.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.05
$2.90 ₡1,300
57.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.71 €5.07
$3.63 ₡1,626
57.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$311 €277
$72.6 ₡32.6K
328.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.73 €5.10
$2.14 ₡958
167.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.57 ₡703
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.38 €10.12
$8.52 ₡3,823
33.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.52 ₡682
35.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K €33.1K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
72.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K €32.0K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
4.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 €214
$96.3 ₡43.2K
149.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.48 €19.99
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-37.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.06 €42.74
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-10.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$113 €100
$71.6 ₡32.1K
57.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.42 €29.72
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-4.27%
Cinema Ticket
$22.14 €19.69
$7.89 ₡3,539
180.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$494 ₡221.6K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.4 €80.4
$53.9 ₡24.2K
67.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.24 €25.12
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-49.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 €79.3
$77.9 ₡34.9K
14.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$34.06 €30.29
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-57.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 €1,034
$788 ₡353.4K
47.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$889 €791
$794 ₡356.2K
11.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,847
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-47.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,587 €1,411
$1,419 ₡636.5K
11.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cavan
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,996 €2,664
$864 ₡387.3K
246.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
8.62
-53.02%

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

Last update for Cavan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cavan
$889
Nosara
$794 10.7% $95
Groceries & Markets
Cavan
$391
Nosara
$352 9.9% $39
Getting Around
Cavan
$317 *
Nosara
$87 72.5% $230
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cavan
$311
Nosara
$186 40.3% $125
Eating Out
Cavan
$288
Nosara
$212 26.5% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Cavan
$157
Nosara
$87 44.4% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Cavan
$109
Nosara
$120 10.3% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,163 in Cavan and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 247% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Cavan vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Cavan
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:37 2:37 PM
07:37 7:37 AM
7 h behind Cavan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cavan Nosara 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cavan
  • 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
Cavan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cavan and in Nosara?
Cavan and Nosara differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,462 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Cavan or Nosara?
Average pay runs 247% higher in Cavan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Cavan and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,163 in Cavan versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Cavan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cavan or Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $2,462 per month in Cavan versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,462 in Cavan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Cavan. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Cavan and Nosara?
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.
Is Cavan or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Cavan 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.
Where should expats move: Cavan or Nosara?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cavan vs other spots: cost of living compared

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