Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dingli and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $1,994 in Dingli, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dingli outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Dingli
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,994
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,994 in Dingli versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Dingli $1,994
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,003 in Dingli versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Dingli $3,003
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,012 in Dingli versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Dingli $4,012
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Dingli is roughly 8% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dingli 48% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.85 €17.66
$12.35 ₡5,539
60.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.2 €75.8
$61.2 ₡27.4K
39.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.30 €11.83
$7.52 ₡3,373
76.86%
Cappuccino
$2.76 €2.46
$4.41 ₡1,978
-37.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 €2.77
$1.74 ₡780
78.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.93
$1.31 ₡587
66.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.41 €3.93
$3.28 ₡1,471
34.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.11 €4.55
$4.47 ₡2,004
14.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 €1.23
$1.56 ₡701
-10.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 €1.15
$3.02 ₡1,355
-57.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.20 €3.74
$2.51 ₡1,125
67.33%
Eggs
$4.15 €3.69
$3.57 ₡1,603
16.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.43 €7.50
$7.43 ₡3,333
13.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.25 €9.11
$10.52 ₡4,717
-2.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.25 €16.24
$13.97 ₡6,265
30.64%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 €3.72
$2.35 ₡1,052
77.87%
Banana (1kg)
$2.77 €2.47
$1.61 ₡720
72.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.67 €3.26
$4.80 ₡2,152
-23.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.37 €3.00
$1.61 ₡724
109.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.42 €2.16
$3.80 ₡1,703
-36.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$3.69 ₡1,657
-46.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.13 ₡507
108.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.15
$2.66 ₡1,191
-51.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.61 €5.88
$5.18 ₡2,321
27.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.93 €7.06
$19.88 ₡8,916
-60.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 €1.58
$2.90 ₡1,300
-38.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.11
$3.63 ₡1,626
-34.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.14 €1.90
$1.12 ₡504
91.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.53 €4.92
$2.14 ₡958
158.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.57 ₡703
39.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.47 €23.54
$8.52 ₡3,823
210.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.52 ₡682
0.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K €33.3K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
73.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.4K €34.2K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
11.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$100 €89.1
$96.3 ₡43.2K
4.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.71 €22.87
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-28.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.28 €37.61
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-21.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.1 €58.8
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-7.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.07 €8.96
$7.89 ₡3,539
27.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$359 €319
$494 ₡221.6K
-27.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K €9,730
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-7.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.0 €78.3
$53.9 ₡24.2K
63.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.66 €36.17
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-26.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.4 €87.5
$77.9 ₡34.9K
26.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.9 €68.4
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-3.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 €1,130
$788 ₡353.4K
61.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$966 €859
$794 ₡356.2K
21.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 €1,488
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-57.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,518 €1,350
$1,419 ₡636.5K
6.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,517 €3,129
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-49.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,174 €2,823
$1,224 ₡549.0K
159.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dingli
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,397 €1,242
$864 ₡387.3K
61.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
8.62
-66.36%

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

Last update for Dingli: 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
Dingli
$966
Nosara
$794 17.8% $172
Groceries & Markets
Dingli
$326
Nosara
$352 8% $26
Eating Out
Dingli
$285
Nosara
$212 25.7% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dingli
$168
Nosara
$186 10.4% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Dingli
$137
Nosara
$120 12.2% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Dingli
$86
Nosara
$87 1.3% $1.1
Getting Around
Dingli
$25 *
Nosara
$87 248% $62

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 $1,271 in Dingli and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dingli pays 62% 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: $85.0 in Dingli vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $352, with Dingli cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Dingli
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
17:49 5:49 PM
09:49 9:49 AM
8 h behind Dingli
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,700
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Dingli Nosara 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dingli
  • 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
Dingli vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dingli or Nosara?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Dingli. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Dingli or in Nosara?
Average pay runs 62% higher in Dingli, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Dingli compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,271 in Dingli versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Dingli or in Nosara?
Shoppers in Dingli pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Dingli compared to Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,994 per month in Dingli versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Dingli or in Nosara?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,994 in Dingli, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Dingli. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Dingli or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.
How safe is Dingli compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Dingli 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Dingli. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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