Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,734 in Dublin, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dublin
🇮🇪 Ireland
$3,734
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,734 per month in Dublin vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Dublin $3,734
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $5,273 per month in Dublin vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Dublin $5,273
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,811 per month in Dublin vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Dublin $6,811
  • Nosara $3,712

Dublin costs about 103% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dublin and Nosara sit above the global median – Dublin by 179%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.89 €21.30
$12.22 ₡5,509
95.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 €90.5
$60.2 ₡27.1K
68.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.62 €12.15
$7.54 ₡3,399
80.64%
Cappuccino
$4.90 €4.37
$4.31 ₡1,941
13.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 €2.57
$1.72 ₡773
67.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.35 ₡608
60.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.64 €6.82
$3.24 ₡1,459
135.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.47 €6.66
$4.48 ₡2,018
66.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.57 ₡707
7.01%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 €2.17
$3.17 ₡1,429
-23.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.05 €1.82
$2.42 ₡1,091
-15.29%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.34
$3.57 ₡1,609
36.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.03 €8.94
$7.43 ₡3,349
34.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.98 €11.58
$10.42 ₡4,697
24.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.31 €14.54
$13.66 ₡6,156
19.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 €2.54
$2.32 ₡1,044
22.84%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.61 ₡728
35.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.39
$4.74 ₡2,138
-43.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.39 €4.81
$1.66 ₡747
224.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.72 ₡1,679
-50.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 €1.33
$3.57 ₡1,611
-57.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.10 ₡497
18.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.55 ₡1,149
-20.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$21.45 €19.13
$4.95 ₡2,232
333.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.70 €12.22
$20.01 ₡9,020
-31.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.34 €2.98
$2.79 ₡1,256
19.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 €3.19
$3.53 ₡1,589
1.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.19 ₡537
92.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 €94.8
$72.1 ₡32.5K
47.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 €4.72
$2.24 ₡1,011
136.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.55 ₡701
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.18 €33.15
$8.86 ₡3,993
319.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.57 ₡708
37.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K €34.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
78.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.6K €35.3K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
14.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$276 €246
$93.5 ₡42.1K
194.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.01 €16.06
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-48.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 €46.38
$51.5 ₡23.2K
1.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.8 €61.4
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-3.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.99 €18.71
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-40.77%
Cinema Ticket
$16.00 €14.27
$7.84 ₡3,535
104.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,296 €1,155
$490 ₡220.7K
164.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K €12.7K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
20.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 €95.5
$53.5 ₡24.1K
100.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.2 €44.73
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-10.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 €100
$79.3 ₡35.7K
41.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €118
$78.9 ₡35.6K
67.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,465 €2,197
$786 ₡354.3K
213.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,179 €1,943
$780 ₡351.6K
179.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,492 €4,005
$3,860 ₡1.7M
16.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,520 €3,139
$1,407 ₡634.4K
150.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,511 €8,480
$6,972 ₡3.1M
36.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,656 €5,043
$1,201 ₡541.3K
371.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dublin
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,795 €3,384
$876 ₡395.0K
333.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
8.62
-55.68%

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

Last update for Dublin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dublin
$2.2K
Nosara
$780 64.2% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
Dublin
$367
Nosara
$350 4.8% $17
Eating Out
Dublin
$364
Nosara
$209 42.5% $155
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dublin
$346
Nosara
$180 47.9% $166
Clothing & Footwear
Dublin
$181
Nosara
$120 33.5% $61
Getting Around
Dublin
$129
Nosara
$87 32.4% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Dublin
$101
Nosara
$87 13.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,465 in Dublin versus $786 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 333% higher in Dublin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dublin versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Dublin
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
01:27 1:27 AM
18:27 6:27 PM
7 h behind Dublin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
588,233 Capital
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
  • Dublin Nosara 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dublin
  • 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
Dublin vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Dublin and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,734 in Dublin, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 103% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Dublin compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,601 per month in Dublin and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Dublin and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Dublin and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Dublin or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,734 in Dublin and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 103%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Dublin at $3,734. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dublin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Dublin and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Dublin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $3,734 in Dublin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Dublin or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Dublin and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dublin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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