For one person, living is cheaper in Giza: $479 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Giza and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $479 in Giza versus $1,839 in Nosara.
Giza $479
Nosara $1,839
Estimated couple costs with rent: $757 in Giza versus $2,828 in Nosara.
Giza $757
Nosara $2,828
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,034 in Giza versus $3,818 in Nosara.
Giza $1,034
Nosara $3,818
🌍
Living in Giza costs roughly 74% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Giza is 64% below, Nosara is 36% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Giza
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.07E£218
$12.35₡5,539
-67.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.21E£759
$61.2₡27.4K
-76.77%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.83E£258
$7.52₡3,373
-35.77%
Cappuccino
$1.24E£66.3
$4.41₡1,978
-71.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38E£20.10
$1.74₡780
-78.16%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14E£7.62
$1.31₡587
-89.31%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.50E£80.2
$3.28₡1,471
-54.27%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78E£149
$4.47₡2,004
-37.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Giza
Nosara
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.84E£45.12
$1.56₡701
-46.15%
White Bread(500g)
$0.34E£18.36
$3.02₡1,355
-88.74%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.67E£35.83
$2.51₡1,125
-73.31%
Eggs
$1.36E£72.8
$3.57₡1,603
-61.90%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$2.49E£133
$7.43₡3,333
-66.49%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65E£195
$10.52₡4,717
-65.30%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.67E£409
$13.97₡6,265
-45.10%
Apples(1kg)
$1.52E£80.9
$2.35₡1,052
-35.32%
Banana(1kg)
$0.57E£30.34
$1.61₡720
-64.60%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.39E£21.01
$4.80₡2,152
-91.88%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.31E£16.76
$1.61₡724
-80.75%
Potato(1kg)
$0.44E£23.23
$3.80₡1,703
-88.42%
Onion(1kg)
$0.42E£22.59
$3.69₡1,657
-88.62%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.27E£14.32
$1.13₡507
-76.11%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21E£11.43
$2.66₡1,191
-92.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.87E£99.8
$5.18₡2,321
-63.90%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.89E£261
$19.88₡8,916
-75.40%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02E£54.6
$2.90₡1,300
-64.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57E£83.7
$3.63₡1,626
-56.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Giza
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.33E£17.71
$1.12₡504
-70.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.14E£435
$72.6₡32.6K
-88.79%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.27E£14.40
$2.14₡958
-87.38%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.40E£21.29
$1.57₡703
-74.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.85E£98.7
$8.52₡3,823
-78.29%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.45E£24.19
$1.52₡682
-70.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.6KE£1.7M
$21.6K₡9.7M
46.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0KE£1.3M
$34.5K₡15.5M
-27.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Giza
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$15.16E£809
$96.3₡43.2K
-84.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.91E£369
$35.89₡16.1K
-80.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.59E£1,367
$53.6₡24.0K
-52.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Giza
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$18.37E£981
$71.6₡32.1K
-74.34%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.72E£359
$34.91₡15.7K
-80.75%
Cinema Ticket
$3.74E£200
$7.89₡3,539
-52.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Giza
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$86.6E£4,622
$494₡221.6K
-82.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,386E£127.4K
$11.9K₡5.3M
-79.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Giza
Nosara
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.28E£549
$53.9₡24.2K
-80.94%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.74E£2,549
$55.4₡24.8K
-13.84%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$158E£8,438
$77.9₡34.9K
102.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.9E£2,933
$79.6₡35.7K
-31.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Giza
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$155E£8,265
$788₡353.4K
-80.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$88.3E£4,713
$794₡356.2K
-88.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$328E£17.5K
$3,939₡1.8M
-91.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$153E£8,153
$1,419₡636.5K
-89.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$579E£30.9K
$6,912₡3.1M
-91.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$285E£15.2K
$1,224₡549.0K
-76.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Giza
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$146E£7,779
$864₡387.3K
-83.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
22.5
8.62
161.02%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Giza: October 12, 2026
Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Giza
$122 25.5%
Nosara
$120 6.5% ↓ 1.5%$1.8
🛒Groceries & Markets
Giza
$107 22.3%
Nosara
$352 19.2% ↑ 230%$246
🏠Accommodation & Living
Giza
$88 18.4%
Nosara
$794 43.2% ↑ 800%$706
🍽Eating Out
Giza
$77 16.1%
Nosara
$212 11.5% ↑ 175%$135
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Giza
$48 9.9%
Nosara
$186 10.1% ↑ 290%$138
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Giza
$26 5.4%
Nosara
$87 4.8% ↑ 238%$62
🚌Getting Around
Giza
$12 2.5%
Nosara
$87 4.7% ↑ 643%$75
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Giza
$271 26.2%
Nosara
$267 7% ↓ 1.5%$4.1
🛒Groceries & Markets
Giza
$249 24%
Nosara
$790 20.7% ↑ 218%$541
🏠Accommodation & Living
Giza
$153 14.8%
Nosara
$1.4K 37.2% ↑ 830%$1.3K
🍽Eating Out
Giza
$225 21.7%
Nosara
$734 19.2% ↑ 227%$509
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Giza
$55 5.3%
Nosara
$222 5.8% ↑ 306%$167
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Giza
$58 5.7%
Nosara
$210 5.5% ↑ 259%$151
🚌Getting Around
Giza
$24 2.3%
Nosara
$176 4.6% ↑ 631%$152
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $155 in Giza and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Nosara pays 493% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $14.00 in Giza vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $107 vs $352 per month, with Giza cheaper across the board.
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
Giza vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Giza?
Giza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 284% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Giza or Nosara?
On paper, salaries run 493% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Giza and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $155 in Giza versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Giza runs roughly 792% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $86.6 in Giza versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Giza or in Nosara?
At $479 in Giza versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Giza but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Giza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Giza or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Giza 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, Giza or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Giza 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 Giza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 284% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.