Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derry and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,484 in Derry, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Derry outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Derry
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,484
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,484 in Derry versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Derry $2,484
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,000 in Derry versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Derry $3,000
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Derry versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Derry $3,516
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Derry is roughly 35% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Derry 84% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Derry
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.52 €18.25
$12.35 ₡5,539
66.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.2 €45.58
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-16.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.39 €8.35
$7.52 ₡3,373
24.87%
Cappuccino
$4.44 €3.95
$4.41 ₡1,978
0.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.74 ₡780
-5.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.31 ₡587
24.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.17 €4.60
$3.28 ₡1,471
57.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.68 €5.94
$4.47 ₡2,004
49.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Derry
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 €1.31
$1.56 ₡701
-5.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 €1.33
$3.02 ₡1,355
-50.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.51 ₡1,125
-17.93%
Eggs
$3.40 €3.02
$3.57 ₡1,603
-4.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.23 €11.77
$7.43 ₡3,333
78.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.04 €8.93
$10.52 ₡4,717
-4.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.19 €11.73
$13.97 ₡6,265
-5.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 €2.61
$2.35 ₡1,052
24.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 €1.43
$1.61 ₡720
-
Oranges (1kg)
$3.03 €2.70
$4.80 ₡2,152
-36.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 €3.69
$1.61 ₡724
157.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 €0.90
$3.80 ₡1,703
-73.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 €1.26
$3.69 ₡1,657
-61.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.13 ₡507
-9.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 €1.65
$2.66 ₡1,191
-30.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.71 €18.42
$5.18 ₡2,321
299.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.27 €9.14
$19.88 ₡8,916
-48.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 €1.99
$2.90 ₡1,300
-22.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 €2.33
$3.63 ₡1,626
-27.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Derry
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.60 €2.32
$1.12 ₡504
132.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.20 €4.63
$2.14 ₡958
142.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.57 ₡703
-10.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.0 €49.78
$8.52 ₡3,823
556.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.52 ₡682
29.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
78.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.9K €32.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
6.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derry
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 €216
$96.3 ₡43.2K
152.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.14 €18.81
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-41.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.5 €44.90
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-5.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Derry
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.93 €31.96
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-49.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.84 €22.99
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-25.98%
Cinema Ticket
$13.02 €11.58
$7.89 ₡3,539
65.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Derry
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,196 €1,064
$494 ₡221.6K
142.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,163 €4,592
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-56.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Derry
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €89.9
$53.9 ₡24.2K
87.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.64 €43.26
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-12.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 €87.9
$77.9 ₡34.9K
26.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.9 €64.8
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-8.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Derry
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,574 €1,400
$788 ₡353.4K
99.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,335 €1,187
$794 ₡356.2K
68.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,322 €1,176
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-66.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,085 €965
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-23.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,310 €2,055
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-66.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 €1,514
$1,224 ₡549.0K
39.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Derry
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,599 €2,312
$864 ₡387.3K
200.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
8.62
-57.31%

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

Last update for Derry: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Derry
$1.3K
Nosara
$794 40.5% $540
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derry
$314
Nosara
$186 40.9% $129
Groceries & Markets
Derry
$307
Nosara
$352 14.6% $45
Eating Out
Derry
$298
Nosara
$212 28.9% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Derry
$145
Nosara
$120 17% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Derry
$62
Nosara
$87 41% $25
Getting Around
Derry
$23 *
Nosara
$87 284% $64

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 $1,574 in Derry and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derry pays 201% 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: $51.0 in Derry vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $352 per month, with Derry cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Derry
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
19:09 7:09 PM
12:09 12:09 PM
7 h behind Derry
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
85,016
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
  • Derry Nosara 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Derry
  • 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
Derry vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Derry?
Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Derry or Nosara?
Average pay runs 201% higher in Derry, 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 Derry and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,574 in Derry versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Derry and in Nosara?
Shoppers in Derry pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Derry and in Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $2,484 per month in Derry versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Derry or in Nosara?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,484 in Derry, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Derry. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Derry or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Derry, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Derry or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Derry 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Derry. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Derry vs other spots: cost of living compared

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