Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ferney-Voltaire and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,510 in Ferney-Voltaire, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ferney-Voltaire
🇫🇷 France
$2,510
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,510 per month in Ferney-Voltaire vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ferney-Voltaire $2,510
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,028 per month in Ferney-Voltaire vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ferney-Voltaire $4,028
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,547 per month in Ferney-Voltaire vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ferney-Voltaire $5,547
  • Nosara $3,814

Ferney-Voltaire costs about 37% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ferney-Voltaire and Nosara sit above the global median – Ferney-Voltaire by 85%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.16 €17.93
$12.34 ₡5,535
63.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.8 €70.1
$61.3 ₡27.5K
28.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$18.59 €16.54
$7.76 ₡3,481
139.56%
Cappuccino
$4.72 €4.20
$4.44 ₡1,992
6.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 €2.95
$1.79 ₡803
85.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.29 ₡580
46.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.26 €6.46
$3.24 ₡1,451
124.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$4.43 ₡1,985
27.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.55 ₡696
25.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 €1.73
$3.08 ₡1,380
-36.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.53 ₡1,133
-25.30%
Eggs
$3.30 €2.93
$3.45 ₡1,546
-4.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.30 €17.17
$7.32 ₡3,284
163.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.42 €11.05
$10.24 ₡4,594
21.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.26 €10.02
$14.10 ₡6,326
-20.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 €2.54
$2.29 ₡1,027
24.45%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.64 ₡737
32.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 €3.02
$4.79 ₡2,149
-29.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.64 ₡735
34.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 €1.72
$3.85 ₡1,727
-49.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.75 ₡1,681
-41.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.09 ₡488
4.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.67
$2.59 ₡1,160
-70.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.79 €13.15
$5.12 ₡2,295
188.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.72 €5.09
$19.92 ₡8,931
-71.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 €1.56
$2.80 ₡1,255
-37.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 €1.95
$3.52 ₡1,580
-37.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.95
$1.22 ₡549
171.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.51 €44.04
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-33.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.73 €7.77
$2.17 ₡973
302.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.49 €2.21
$1.56 ₡698
59.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.18 €30.40
$8.67 ₡3,886
294.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.22 €1.98
$1.55 ₡697
43.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K €31.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
1.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €32.6K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-5.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €143
$94.8 ₡42.5K
69.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.85 €8.77
$36.15 ₡16.2K
-72.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.0 €47.99
$53.1 ₡23.8K
1.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$99.7 €88.7
$73.8 ₡33.1K
35.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.40 €10.14
$7.91 ₡3,548
44.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,464 €2,192
$490 ₡219.9K
402.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$45.2K €40.2K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
280.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.15 €39.27
$54.8 ₡24.6K
-19.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.68 €37.96
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-23.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.0 €86.3
$80.4 ₡36.0K
20.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 €97.8
$77.9 ₡34.9K
41.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,587 €1,412
$801 ₡359.1K
98.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,291 €1,148
$790 ₡354.1K
63.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,760 €2,455
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-31.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,783 €2,476
$1,409 ₡632.0K
97.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,150 €3,692
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-41.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,555 €4,941
$1,236 ₡554.3K
349.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ferney-Voltaire
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,961 €3,523
$887 ₡397.6K
346.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.65
8.62
-57.66%

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

Last update for Ferney-Voltaire: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ferney-Voltaire
$1.3K
Nosara
$790 38.8% $501
Eating Out
Ferney-Voltaire
$342
Nosara
$213 37.8% $129
Groceries & Markets
Ferney-Voltaire
$314
Nosara
$350 11.4% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ferney-Voltaire
$224
Nosara
$184 18% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Ferney-Voltaire
$132
Nosara
$121 8.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Ferney-Voltaire
$122
Nosara
$90 26.8% $33
Getting Around
Ferney-Voltaire
$84
Nosara
$89 5.7% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,587 in Ferney-Voltaire versus $801 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 347% higher in Ferney-Voltaire, 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 $79.0 in Ferney-Voltaire versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Ferney-Voltaire vs $350 in Nosara – so Ferney-Voltaire wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Ferney-Voltaire
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
17:17 5:17 PM
09:17 9:17 AM
8 h behind Ferney-Voltaire
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,920
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ferney-Voltaire Nosara 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ferney-Voltaire
  • 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
Ferney-Voltaire vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Ferney-Voltaire?
Yes – Ferney-Voltaire is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,764 per month in Ferney-Voltaire and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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 kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,464 per month in Ferney-Voltaire and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ferney-Voltaire and in Nosara?
Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Ferney-Voltaire – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Ferney-Voltaire or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Ferney-Voltaire at $2,510. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ferney-Voltaire it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ferney-Voltaire or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ferney-Voltaire or Nosara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ferney-Voltaire makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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