Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gijon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gijon: $1,744 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Gijon
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,744
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,744 in Gijon versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Gijon $1,744
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,544 in Gijon versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Gijon $2,544
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,344 in Gijon versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Gijon $3,344
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Gijon costs roughly 5% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gijon 30% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.66 €14.87
$12.22 ₡5,509
36.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.4 €61.1
$60.2 ₡27.1K
13.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.75 €14.06
$7.54 ₡3,399
108.89%
Cappuccino
$2.51 €2.24
$4.31 ₡1,941
-41.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.60
$1.72 ₡773
69.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.35 ₡608
72.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.98 €3.55
$3.24 ₡1,459
22.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 €5.31
$4.48 ₡2,018
32.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.57 ₡707
-23.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.78 €1.59
$3.17 ₡1,429
-43.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 €1.24
$2.42 ₡1,091
-42.56%
Eggs
$4.40 €3.93
$3.57 ₡1,609
23.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.46 €11.12
$7.43 ₡3,349
67.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.78 €6.94
$10.42 ₡4,697
-25.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.43 €11.98
$13.66 ₡6,156
-1.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.76 €3.36
$2.32 ₡1,044
62.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.61 ₡728
-6.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$4.74 ₡2,138
-61.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.69 €3.29
$1.66 ₡747
122.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$3.72 ₡1,679
-39.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$3.57 ₡1,611
-38.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.10 ₡497
20.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 €0.71
$2.55 ₡1,149
-68.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.65 €5.94
$4.95 ₡2,232
34.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 €8.88
$20.01 ₡9,020
-50.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.79 ₡1,256
-45.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 €1.81
$3.53 ₡1,589
-42.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.19 ₡537
24.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.88 €30.24
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-52.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.48 €4.89
$2.24 ₡1,011
144.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.55 ₡701
-18.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.15 €26.01
$8.86 ₡3,993
229.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.57 ₡708
12.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K €32.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
68.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K €25.8K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-16.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$148 €132
$93.5 ₡42.1K
58.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.99 €16.05
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-48.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.60 €22.84
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-50.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.1 €46.46
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-27.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.39 €8.38
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-73.50%
Cinema Ticket
$9.35 €8.34
$7.84 ₡3,535
19.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$483 €431
$490 ₡220.7K
-1.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €9,008
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-15.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.9 €85.6
$53.5 ₡24.1K
79.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.80 €28.38
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-42.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €98.5
$79.3 ₡35.7K
39.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$78.9 ₡35.6K
50.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$890 €794
$786 ₡354.3K
13.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$716 €639
$780 ₡351.6K
-8.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,432 €1,278
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-62.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,059 €945
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-24.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,639 €3,248
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-47.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,102 €1,876
$1,201 ₡541.3K
75.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gijon
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,822 €1,626
$876 ₡395.0K
107.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.43
8.62
-60.21%

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

Last update for Gijon: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gijon
$716
Nosara
$780 9% $64
Groceries & Markets
Gijon
$281
Nosara
$350 24.6% $69
Eating Out
Gijon
$263
Nosara
$209 20.5% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gijon
$191
Nosara
$180 6% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Gijon
$160
Nosara
$120 25% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Gijon
$71
Nosara
$87 23.1% $16
Getting Around
Gijon
$52
Nosara
$87 68.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $890 in Gijon and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gijon pays 108% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Gijon vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $350, with Gijon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Gijon
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
07:17 7:17 AM
23:17 11:17 PM
8 h behind Gijon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
268,313
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gijon Nosara 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Gijon
  • 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
Gijon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Gijon?
Gijon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Gijon or Nosara?
Average pay runs 108% higher in Gijon, 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 Gijon and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $890 in Gijon versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Gijon and in Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,744 per month in Gijon versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Gijon runs roughly 113% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Gijon or in Nosara?
At $1,744 in Gijon versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Gijon but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gijon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Gijon or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Gijon 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, Gijon or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Gijon 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 Gijon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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