Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaves and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaves: $1,064 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Chaves
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Chaves Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chaves

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,064

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,064 per month in Chaves vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Chaves $1,064
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Chaves vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Chaves $1,607
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,150 per month in Chaves vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Chaves $2,150
Nosara $3,814

Chaves is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chaves sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 €7.10

$12.34 ₡5,535

-35.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.32 €19.86

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-63.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 €6.92

$7.76 ₡3,481

0.26%

Cappuccino

$1.54 €1.37

$4.44 ₡1,992

-65.32%

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

$1.49 €1.33

$1.79 ₡803

-16.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$1.29 ₡580

-55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 €2.03

$3.24 ₡1,451

-29.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$4.43 ₡1,985

-38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.55 ₡696

-34.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €1.01

$3.08 ₡1,380

-62.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$2.53 ₡1,133

-55.34%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.71

$3.45 ₡1,546

-11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 €5.54

$7.32 ₡3,284

-14.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 €5.81

$10.24 ₡4,594

-36.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 €9.12

$14.10 ₡6,326

-27.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.29 ₡1,027

-50.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.64 ₡737

-29.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 €0.98

$4.79 ₡2,149

-76.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.97

$1.64 ₡735

-32.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$3.85 ₡1,727

-47.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$3.75 ₡1,681

-69.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.09 ₡488

29.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$2.59 ₡1,160

-69.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$5.12 ₡2,295

16.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.03 €3.58

$19.92 ₡8,931

-79.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.80 ₡1,255

-58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$3.52 ₡1,580

-67.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 €0.77

$1.22 ₡549

-28.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.67 €24.61

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-62.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 €3.53

$2.17 ₡973

82.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 €0.61

$1.56 ₡698

-56.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 €17.60

$8.67 ₡3,886

128.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.55 ₡697

25.81%

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

$34.1K €30.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.23%

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

$37.6K €33.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-2.96%

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

$134 €119

$94.8 ₡42.5K

40.92%

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

$17.81 €15.84

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-50.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.69 €28.19

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-40.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.25 €22.46

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-65.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.49 €4.88

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-84.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 €6.35

$7.91 ₡3,548

-9.73%

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

$223 €199

$490 ₡219.9K

-54.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,620 €3,220

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-69.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 €63.9

$54.8 ₡24.6K

31.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.56 €20.07

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-59.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 €56.1

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-21.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 €80.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

15.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 €425

$801 ₡359.1K

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 €336

$790 ₡354.1K

-52.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €846

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-76.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 €655

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-47.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,870 €1,663

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-73.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,472 €1,310

$1,236 ₡554.3K

19.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,015 €903

$887 ₡397.6K

14.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.20%

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

Last update for Chaves: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chaves

$378 35.5%

Nosara

$790 43% 109% $412

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chaves

$183 17.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 0.5% $0.9

Groceries & Markets

Chaves

$182 17.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 91.6% $167

Eating Out

Chaves

$131 12.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 62.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Chaves

$111 10.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 8.6% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chaves

$40 3.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 127% $50

Getting Around

Chaves

$39 3.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 131% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Chaves versus $801 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 14% higher in Chaves, 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 $22.00 in Chaves versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $350 – making Chaves the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Chaves

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

7 h behind Chaves

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,592

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chaves Nosara 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chaves
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

Chaves vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 73% more than Chaves, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,596 per month in Chaves and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 167% less in Chaves. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $223 per month in Chaves and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chaves, where all-in costs run around $1,064, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Chaves it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chaves costs $1,064 versus $1,835 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chaves. 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.