Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coimbra and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Coimbra: $1,540 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Coimbra
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,540
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,540 in Coimbra versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Coimbra $1,540
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,306 in Coimbra versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Coimbra $2,306
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,073 in Coimbra versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Coimbra $3,073
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Coimbra costs roughly 16% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Coimbra 15% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.49 €12.04
$12.22 ₡5,509
10.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.04 €41.98
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-21.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.91 €8.84
$7.54 ₡3,399
31.43%
Cappuccino
$1.95 €1.74
$4.31 ₡1,941
-54.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.72 ₡773
14.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.35 ₡608
17.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 €1.99
$3.24 ₡1,459
-31.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 €3.07
$4.48 ₡2,018
-23.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.57 ₡707
-34.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.57 €1.40
$3.17 ₡1,429
-50.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 €1.53
$2.42 ₡1,091
-29.34%
Eggs
$3.26 €2.91
$3.57 ₡1,609
-8.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.90 €10.62
$7.43 ₡3,349
60.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.58 €6.77
$10.42 ₡4,697
-27.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.25 €12.71
$13.66 ₡6,156
4.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.05
$2.32 ₡1,044
-0.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.61 ₡728
-1.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$4.74 ₡2,138
-58.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.04 €2.71
$1.66 ₡747
83.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 €1.46
$3.72 ₡1,679
-56.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$3.57 ₡1,611
-42.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 €1.44
$1.10 ₡497
47.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.55 ₡1,149
-71.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.31 €5.63
$4.95 ₡2,232
27.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.90 €5.26
$20.01 ₡9,020
-70.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$2.79 ₡1,256
-54.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.94
$3.53 ₡1,589
-38.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.93 €1.73
$1.19 ₡537
62.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.99 €30.33
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-52.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.44 €3.96
$2.24 ₡1,011
98.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.55 ₡701
-9.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.25 €12.72
$8.86 ₡3,993
60.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.24 €2.00
$1.57 ₡708
42.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K €29.9K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
53.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.1K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
10.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 €122
$93.5 ₡42.1K
46.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.05 €19.68
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-37.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.09 €28.63
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-37.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.96 €39.23
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-38.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.99 €10.70
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-66.17%
Cinema Ticket
$8.60 €7.67
$7.84 ₡3,535
9.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$721 €643
$490 ₡220.7K
47.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K €9,570
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-9.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.3 €85.0
$53.5 ₡24.1K
77.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.26 €33.25
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-33.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.1 €84.0
$79.3 ₡35.7K
18.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €103
$78.9 ₡35.6K
46.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$873 €779
$786 ₡354.3K
11.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €582
$780 ₡351.6K
-16.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 €1,348
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-60.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,040 €928
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-26.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,737 €2,442
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-60.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,222 €1,091
$1,201 ₡541.3K
1.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Coimbra
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,319 €1,177
$876 ₡395.0K
50.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.83
8.62
-55.57%

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

Last update for Coimbra: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Coimbra
$652
Nosara
$780 19.7% $128
Groceries & Markets
Coimbra
$253
Nosara
$350 38.1% $96
Eating Out
Coimbra
$193
Nosara
$209 8.3% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Coimbra
$191
Nosara
$180 5.7% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Coimbra
$154
Nosara
$120 21.9% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Coimbra
$61
Nosara
$87 42.4% $26
Getting Around
Coimbra
$53
Nosara
$87 63.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Coimbra and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coimbra pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Coimbra vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $350 per month, with Coimbra cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Coimbra
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
06:15 6:15 AM
23:15 11:15 PM
7 h behind Coimbra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
140,838
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Coimbra Nosara 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Coimbra
  • 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
Coimbra vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Coimbra?
Coimbra is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Coimbra or Nosara?
Average pay runs 51% higher in Coimbra, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Coimbra and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $873 in Coimbra versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Coimbra runs roughly 112% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $721 in Coimbra versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Coimbra or in Nosara?
At $1,540 in Coimbra versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Coimbra but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Coimbra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Coimbra or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Coimbra is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Coimbra or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Coimbra 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Coimbra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Coimbra vs other spots: cost of living compared

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