Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuenlabrada and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuenlabrada: $1,714 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Fuenlabrada
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,714
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,714 in Fuenlabrada versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Fuenlabrada $1,714
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Fuenlabrada versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Fuenlabrada $2,551
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,389 in Fuenlabrada versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Fuenlabrada $3,389
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Fuenlabrada costs roughly 7% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fuenlabrada 27% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.51 €14.68
$12.35 ₡5,539
33.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.6 €61.0
$61.2 ₡27.4K
12.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.05
$7.52 ₡3,373
50.27%
Cappuccino
$2.00 €1.78
$4.41 ₡1,978
-54.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.94
$1.74 ₡780
89.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.31 ₡587
43.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.41 €3.03
$3.28 ₡1,471
3.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.66 €4.14
$4.47 ₡2,004
4.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.56 ₡701
-26.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 €0.90
$3.02 ₡1,355
-66.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 €1.74
$2.51 ₡1,125
-21.91%
Eggs
$3.97 €3.53
$3.57 ₡1,603
11.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.13 €16.13
$7.43 ₡3,333
144.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.40 €8.36
$10.52 ₡4,717
-10.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.96 €18.64
$13.97 ₡6,265
50.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 €2.50
$2.35 ₡1,052
19.57%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 €2.11
$1.61 ₡720
47.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$4.80 ₡2,152
-47.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.76 €2.46
$1.61 ₡724
71.43%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$3.80 ₡1,703
-43.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$3.69 ₡1,657
-41.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 €1.34
$1.13 ₡507
33.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 €0.50
$2.66 ₡1,191
-78.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.00 €5.33
$5.18 ₡2,321
15.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.79 €6.93
$19.88 ₡8,916
-60.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.98
$2.90 ₡1,300
-61.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.63 ₡1,626
-37.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.12 ₡504
32.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.41 €28.83
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-55.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.82 €3.40
$2.14 ₡958
78.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.57 ₡703
-5.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.06 €20.51
$8.52 ₡3,823
170.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.52 ₡682
19.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K €31.2K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
62.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.6K €26.3K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-14.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 €170
$96.3 ₡43.2K
98.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.04 €16.04
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-49.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.47 €29.77
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-37.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.07 €39.20
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-38.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.42 €13.72
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-55.83%
Cinema Ticket
$10.03 €8.92
$7.89 ₡3,539
27.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$183 €163
$494 ₡221.6K
-62.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,962 €5,303
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-49.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.1 €65.9
$53.9 ₡24.2K
37.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.71 €32.65
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-33.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.6 €70.0
$77.9 ₡34.9K
0.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.9 €83.5
$79.6 ₡35.7K
17.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$881 €784
$788 ₡353.4K
11.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$682 €607
$794 ₡356.2K
-14.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,340 €1,192
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-65.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,034 €919
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-27.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,268 €2,907
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-52.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,240 €1,992
$1,224 ₡549.0K
82.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fuenlabrada
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,691 €1,504
$864 ₡387.3K
95.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.08
8.62
-64.27%

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

Last update for Fuenlabrada: 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
Fuenlabrada
$682
Nosara
$794 16.4% $112
Groceries & Markets
Fuenlabrada
$311
Nosara
$352 13.3% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fuenlabrada
$242
Nosara
$186 23.4% $57
Eating Out
Fuenlabrada
$237
Nosara
$212 10.7% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Fuenlabrada
$127
Nosara
$120 5.8% $7.4
Sport & Entertainment
Fuenlabrada
$64
Nosara
$87 36.2% $23
Getting Around
Fuenlabrada
$50
Nosara
$87 75.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $881 in Fuenlabrada and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuenlabrada pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Fuenlabrada vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $311 vs $352, with Fuenlabrada cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Fuenlabrada
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:26 8:26 AM
00:26 12:26 AM
8 h behind Fuenlabrada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
188,736
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Fuenlabrada Nosara 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fuenlabrada
  • 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
Fuenlabrada vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Fuenlabrada?
Fuenlabrada is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Fuenlabrada or Nosara?
Average pay runs 96% higher in Fuenlabrada, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Fuenlabrada and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $881 in Fuenlabrada versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Fuenlabrada or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Fuenlabrada – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Fuenlabrada and in Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,714 per month in Fuenlabrada versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Fuenlabrada or in Nosara?
At $1,714 in Fuenlabrada versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Fuenlabrada but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Fuenlabrada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Fuenlabrada or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Fuenlabrada is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Fuenlabrada or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Fuenlabrada 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Fuenlabrada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Fuenlabrada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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