Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ioannina and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ioannina: $1,378 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ioannina
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,378
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ioannina versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Ioannina $1,378
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Ioannina versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Ioannina $2,102
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,827 in Ioannina versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Ioannina $2,827
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Ioannina costs roughly 25% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ioannina 2% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.71 €14.90
$12.35 ₡5,547
35.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.81 €30.14
$61.2 ₡27.5K
-44.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 €9.89
$7.52 ₡3,377
47.61%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.62
$4.41 ₡1,981
-7.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 €2.56
$1.74 ₡781
64.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 €0.52
$1.31 ₡588
-55.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.50 €4.02
$3.28 ₡1,473
37.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.65 €5.04
$4.47 ₡2,007
26.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.56 ₡702
7.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 €1.01
$3.02 ₡1,357
-62.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.70 €3.30
$2.51 ₡1,127
47.41%
Eggs
$3.56 €3.17
$3.57 ₡1,605
-0.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.92 €9.74
$7.43 ₡3,338
46.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.02 €8.04
$10.52 ₡4,724
-14.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.08 €10.77
$13.97 ₡6,274
-13.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.35 ₡1,054
5.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.61 ₡721
22.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.20 €1.07
$4.80 ₡2,155
-75.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.61 ₡725
63.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 €1.04
$3.80 ₡1,706
-69.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 €0.91
$3.69 ₡1,659
-72.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 €0.90
$1.13 ₡507
-10.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 €0.75
$2.66 ₡1,193
-68.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.42 €4.84
$5.18 ₡2,324
4.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.49 €5.79
$19.88 ₡8,929
-67.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.79
$2.90 ₡1,302
-31.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 €2.92
$3.63 ₡1,628
-9.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.12 ₡505
16.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.58 €37.07
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-42.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.27 €3.81
$2.14 ₡959
99.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.57 ₡704
-28.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.86 €6.12
$8.52 ₡3,828
-19.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 €1.83
$1.52 ₡683
34.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K €24.8K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
28.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K €22.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-28.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 €190
$96.3 ₡43.2K
121.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.85 €20.37
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-36.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.89 €25.76
$53.6 ₡24.1K
-46.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 €40.33
$71.6 ₡32.2K
-36.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$44.82 €39.96
$34.91 ₡15.7K
28.39%
Cinema Ticket
$8.76 €7.81
$7.89 ₡3,544
11.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$339 €303
$494 ₡221.9K
-31.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,804 €7,850
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-25.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.3 €60.0
$53.9 ₡24.2K
24.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.06 €41.07
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-16.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.2 €68.0
$77.9 ₡35.0K
-2.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €119
$79.6 ₡35.8K
67.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$457 €407
$788 ₡353.9K
-42.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$322 €287
$794 ₡356.7K
-59.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$699 €623
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-82.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$617 €550
$1,419 ₡637.4K
-56.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,927 €2,610
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-57.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,433 €2,170
$1,224 ₡549.8K
98.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ioannina
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,056 €941
$864 ₡387.8K
22.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.73
8.62
-45.13%

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

Last update for Ioannina: 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
Ioannina
$322
Nosara
$794 146% $472
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ioannina
$265
Nosara
$186 29.9% $79
Eating Out
Ioannina
$263
Nosara
$212 19.6% $52
Groceries & Markets
Ioannina
$263
Nosara
$352 34% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Ioannina
$145
Nosara
$120 17.4% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Ioannina
$63
Nosara
$87 39.2% $25
Getting Around
Ioannina
$57
Nosara
$87 53.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $457 in Ioannina and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ioannina pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Ioannina vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $352 per month, with Ioannina cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Ioannina
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
13:40 1:40 PM
04:40 4:40 AM
9 h behind Ioannina
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
89,061
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ioannina Nosara 10,680 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ioannina
  • 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
Ioannina vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ioannina and in Nosara?
Ioannina and Nosara differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,378 vs $1,839 including rent). Ioannina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Ioannina or Nosara?
Average pay runs 22% higher in Ioannina, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Ioannina and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $457 in Ioannina versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ioannina and Nosara?
Childcare runs $339 in Ioannina versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,378 in Ioannina versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ioannina but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ioannina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ioannina and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ioannina or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ioannina 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.
Where should expats move: Ioannina or Nosara?
Expats usually find Ioannina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ioannina vs other spots: cost of living compared

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