Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elche and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Elche: $1,511 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Elche
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Elche Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Elche

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,511

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,511 in Elche versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Elche $1,511
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,225 in Elche versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Elche $2,225
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,940 in Elche versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Elche $2,940
Nosara $3,814

Living in Elche costs roughly 18% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elche 11% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 €14.90

$12.34 ₡5,535

35.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €50.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 €10.06

$7.76 ₡3,481

45.75%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.22

$4.44 ₡1,992

-43.69%

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

$2.31 €2.06

$1.79 ₡803

29.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.29 ₡580

42.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 €2.96

$3.24 ₡1,451

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$4.43 ₡1,985

-22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.55 ₡696

-25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.41

$3.08 ₡1,380

-48.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.44

$2.53 ₡1,133

-35.97%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.64

$3.45 ₡1,546

-13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 €12.86

$7.32 ₡3,284

97.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.20 €7.29

$10.24 ₡4,594

-19.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 €12.02

$14.10 ₡6,326

-4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.29 ₡1,027

12.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.64 ₡737

21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$4.79 ₡2,149

-60.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.64 ₡735

47.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$3.85 ₡1,727

-54.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$3.75 ₡1,681

-49.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.09 ₡488

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.58

$2.59 ₡1,160

-74.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 €5.67

$5.12 ₡2,295

24.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$19.92 ₡8,931

-72.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.90

$2.80 ₡1,255

-63.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$3.52 ₡1,580

-72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.22 ₡549

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 €20.23

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-69.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.17 ₡973

45.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.56 ₡698

-48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.50 €14.67

$8.67 ₡3,886

90.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.55 ₡697

16.77%

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

$31.9K €28.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.59%

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

$31.0K €27.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-19.91%

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

$143 €127

$94.8 ₡42.5K

50.67%

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

$17.45 €15.53

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-51.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 €24.36

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-48.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.24 €41.13

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-37.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 €9.92

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-68.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 €6.31

$7.91 ₡3,548

-10.24%

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

$707 €629

$490 ₡219.9K

44.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K €8,972

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-15.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 €76.3

$54.8 ₡24.6K

56.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.10 €32.11

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-35.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €78.9

$80.4 ₡36.0K

10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 €77.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

12.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 €594

$801 ₡359.1K

-16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 €534

$790 ₡354.1K

-23.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 €856

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-75.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 €761

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-39.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,093 €1,861

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-70.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,537 €1,368

$1,236 ₡554.3K

24.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,440

$887 ₡397.6K

82.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

8.62

-61.72%

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

Last update for Elche: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Elche

$600 39.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 31.6% $189

Groceries & Markets

Elche

$254 16.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 37.5% $95

Eating Out

Elche

$238 15.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 10.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elche

$188 12.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 2% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Elche

$134 8.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 9.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Elche

$60 4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 48.3% $29

Getting Around

Elche

$36 2.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 147% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Elche and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elche pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Elche vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $350 per month, with Elche cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Elche

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

12:26 12:26 PM

8 h behind Elche

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

238,293

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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Elche Nosara 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Elche
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

Elche vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elche wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Elche the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 83% higher in Elche, 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: $668 in Elche versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Elche – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,511 per month in Elche versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,511 in Elche versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Elche but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Elche the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Elche delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,511 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Elche hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Elche 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 Elche gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.