Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geleen and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,493 in Geleen, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Geleen
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Geleen Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Geleen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,493

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,493 per month in Geleen vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Geleen $2,493
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,708 per month in Geleen vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Geleen $3,708
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,923 per month in Geleen vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Geleen $4,923
Nosara $3,818

Geleen costs about 36% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Geleen and Nosara sit above the global median – Geleen by 85%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 €17.99

$12.35 ₡5,539

63.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 €84.8

$61.2 ₡27.4K

55.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 €10.76

$7.52 ₡3,373

60.90%

Cappuccino

$4.05 €3.60

$4.41 ₡1,978

-8.16%

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

$3.86 €3.43

$1.74 ₡780

121.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.60

$1.31 ₡587

123.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 €5.61

$3.28 ₡1,471

92.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.00

$4.47 ₡2,004

25.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.56 ₡701

-17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.82

$3.02 ₡1,355

-32.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

$2.51 ₡1,125

5.58%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.04

$3.57 ₡1,603

27.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.44 €12.85

$7.43 ₡3,333

94.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 €12.21

$10.52 ₡4,717

30.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 €13.97

$13.97 ₡6,265

12.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.35 ₡1,052

10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$1.61 ₡720

54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.69

$4.80 ₡2,152

-60.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 €3.88

$1.61 ₡724

170.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$3.80 ₡1,703

-48.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$3.69 ₡1,657

-36.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.13 ₡507

12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 €12.27

$5.18 ₡2,321

166.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.83

$19.88 ₡8,916

-67.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.32

$2.90 ₡1,300

-48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.63 ₡1,626

-24.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 €2.86

$1.12 ₡504

187.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.6 €81.5

$72.6 ₡32.6K

26.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.14 ₡958

52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 €2.94

$1.57 ₡703

110.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 €24.46

$8.52 ₡3,823

222.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.52 ₡682

55.26%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

92.80%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

11.32%

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

$262 €233

$96.3 ₡43.2K

172.41%

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

$16.97 €15.10

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-52.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.89 €37.26

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-21.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.24 €36.69

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 €23.32

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-24.89%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 €13.57

$7.89 ₡3,539

93.28%

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

$1,269 €1,129

$494 ₡221.6K

156.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,561 €5,836

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-44.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 €72.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

50.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.65 €33.49

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €99.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

44.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$79.6 ₡35.7K

59.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 €1,240

$788 ₡353.4K

76.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$794 ₡356.2K

47.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,397 €2,132

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-39.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 €1,697

$1,419 ₡636.5K

34.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,630 €5,008

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-18.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 €3,403

$1,224 ₡549.0K

212.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,548 €4,046

$864 ₡387.3K

426.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.02

8.62

-53.36%

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

Last update for Geleen: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geleen

$1.2K 46.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 32.1% $375

Groceries & Markets

Geleen

$329 13.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 7.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geleen

$321 12.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.2% $135

Eating Out

Geleen

$317 12.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 33.1% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Geleen

$161 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 25.5% $41

Getting Around

Geleen

$124 5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 29.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Geleen

$72 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 21.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,395 in Geleen versus $788 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 427% higher in Geleen, 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 $95.0 in Geleen versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Geleen vs $352 in Nosara – so Geleen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Geleen

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

22:44 10:44 PM

8 h behind Geleen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,970

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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Geleen Nosara 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Geleen
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

Geleen vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geleen is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,740 per month in Geleen and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,269 per month in Geleen and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Geleen at $2,493. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geleen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geleen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.