Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dundalk and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,559 in Dundalk, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Dundalk
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Dundalk Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dundalk

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,559

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,559 in Dundalk versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Dundalk $2,559
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,749 in Dundalk versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Dundalk $3,749
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,939 in Dundalk versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Dundalk $4,939
Nosara $3,818

Living in Dundalk is roughly 39% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dundalk 90% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.47 €16.43

$12.35 ₡5,539

49.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.9 €79.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

45.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 €10.80

$7.52 ₡3,373

61.44%

Cappuccino

$3.81 €3.38

$4.41 ₡1,978

-13.61%

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

$2.16 €1.92

$1.74 ₡780

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.31 ₡587

-2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 €5.90

$3.28 ₡1,471

102.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.91

$4.47 ₡2,004

23.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.56 ₡701

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 €0.82

$3.02 ₡1,355

-69.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$2.51 ₡1,125

-47.41%

Eggs

$4.60 €4.09

$3.57 ₡1,603

28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 €12.38

$7.43 ₡3,333

87.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.90 €11.47

$10.52 ₡4,717

22.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.97

$13.97 ₡6,265

20.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.35 ₡1,052

-3.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.61 ₡720

42.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €2.04

$4.80 ₡2,152

-52.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 €4.18

$1.61 ₡724

191.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.69 ₡1,657

-50.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.13 ₡507

22.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.66 ₡1,191

-17.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.47 €17.31

$5.18 ₡2,321

275.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.13 €11.68

$19.88 ₡8,916

-33.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.20 €3.73

$2.90 ₡1,300

44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

$3.63 ₡1,626

-4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.12 ₡504

93.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €99.8

$72.6 ₡32.6K

54.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 €4.53

$2.14 ₡958

137.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.57 ₡703

-9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.60 €16.54

$8.52 ₡3,823

118.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.78

$1.52 ₡682

32.24%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

83.08%

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

$32.3K €28.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-6.40%

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

$239 €212

$96.3 ₡43.2K

147.71%

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

$21.44 €19.07

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-40.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 €48.46

$53.6 ₡24.0K

1.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.51 €43.14

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-32.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 €21.96

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-29.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 €11.77

$7.89 ₡3,539

67.81%

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

$1,076 €957

$494 ₡221.6K

117.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,138 €4,570

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-56.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €85.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

77.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.44 €24.40

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-50.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 €59.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-14.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$79.6 ₡35.7K

52.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 €1,563

$788 ₡353.4K

123.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 €1,115

$794 ₡356.2K

57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 €2,204

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-37.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,789

$1,419 ₡636.5K

41.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,594 €4,975

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-19.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,024 €4,468

$1,224 ₡549.0K

310.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,445 €2,174

$864 ₡387.3K

183.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

8.62

-51.97%

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

Last update for Dundalk: 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

Dundalk

$1.3K 49%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 36.6% $459

Groceries & Markets

Dundalk

$355 13.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 0.7% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dundalk

$314 12.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 40.9% $129

Eating Out

Dundalk

$288 11.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 26.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Dundalk

$140 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14.4% $20

Getting Around

Dundalk

$133 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 34.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Dundalk

$75 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,758 in Dundalk and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dundalk pays 183% 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: $89.0 in Dundalk vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Dundalk

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

12:02 12:02 PM

7 h behind Dundalk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,112

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 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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dundalk Nosara 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Dundalk
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

Dundalk vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 183% higher in Dundalk, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,758 in Dundalk versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $89.0 in Dundalk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,559 per month in Dundalk versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,559 in Dundalk, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Dundalk. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dundalk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dundalk 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.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Dundalk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.