Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izmir and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Izmir: $1,243 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Izmir
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,243
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Izmir versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Izmir $1,243
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,919 in Izmir versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Izmir $1,919
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,596 in Izmir versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Izmir $2,596
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Izmir costs roughly 32% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Izmir is 7% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.22 ₺503
$12.22 ₡5,509
-16.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.41 ₺1,794
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-39.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.49 ₺418
$7.54 ₡3,399
12.60%
Cappuccino
$3.73 ₺184
$4.31 ₡1,941
-13.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 ₺72.6
$1.72 ₡773
-14.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 ₺30.76
$1.35 ₡608
-54.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 ₺169
$3.24 ₡1,459
6.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 ₺247
$4.48 ₡2,018
11.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 ₺53.9
$1.57 ₡707
-30.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 ₺50.1
$3.17 ₡1,429
-67.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.38 ₺117
$2.42 ₡1,091
-1.65%
Eggs
$2.56 ₺126
$3.57 ₡1,609
-28.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.37 ₺462
$7.43 ₡3,349
26.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.16 ₺254
$10.42 ₡4,697
-50.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.82 ₺1,075
$13.66 ₡6,156
59.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.07 ₺102
$2.32 ₡1,044
-10.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 ₺109
$1.61 ₡728
37.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 ₺50.3
$4.74 ₡2,138
-78.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.46 ₺72.0
$1.66 ₡747
-12.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.59 ₺28.96
$3.72 ₡1,679
-84.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 ₺18.12
$3.57 ₡1,611
-89.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ₺55.3
$1.10 ₡497
1.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ₺38.46
$2.55 ₡1,149
-69.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 ₺108
$4.95 ₡2,232
-55.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.68 ₺575
$20.01 ₡9,020
-41.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 ₺98.8
$2.79 ₡1,256
-28.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 ₺155
$3.53 ₡1,589
-11.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.74 ₺36.55
$1.19 ₡537
-37.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.44 ₺2,091
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-41.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ₺182
$2.24 ₡1,011
64.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ₺50.9
$1.55 ₡701
-33.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.55 ₺274
$8.86 ₡3,993
-37.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 ₺68.7
$1.57 ₡708
-10.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.8K ₺2.1M
$21.8K ₡9.8M
91.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$46.0K ₺2.3M
$34.6K ₡15.6M
32.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.0 ₺4,238
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-7.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.76 ₺530
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-69.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.90 ₺783
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-69.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.9 ₺3,146
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-10.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.16 ₺1,733
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-0.79%
Cinema Ticket
$8.13 ₺400
$7.84 ₡3,535
3.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$693 ₺34.2K
$490 ₡220.7K
41.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.7K ₺723.8K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
23.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.73 ₺2,302
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-12.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.49 ₺1,847
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-32.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.1 ₺4,486
$79.3 ₡35.7K
14.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.4 ₺4,111
$78.9 ₡35.6K
5.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$603 ₺29.7K
$786 ₡354.3K
-23.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$424 ₺20.9K
$780 ₡351.6K
-45.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,135 ₺55.9K
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-70.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$785 ₺38.7K
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-44.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,492 ₺73.5K
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-78.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,035 ₺51.0K
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-13.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Izmir
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,145 ₺56.4K
$876 ₡395.0K
30.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
42.33
8.62
391.07%

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

Last update for Izmir: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Izmir
$424
Nosara
$780 84% $356
Groceries & Markets
Izmir
$251
Nosara
$350 39.1% $98
Eating Out
Izmir
$188
Nosara
$209 11.6% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Izmir
$116
Nosara
$120 3.4% $3.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Izmir
$113
Nosara
$180 59.8% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Izmir
$80
Nosara
$87 8.7% $7
Getting Around
Izmir
$54
Nosara
$87 60% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $603 in Izmir and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izmir pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Izmir vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $350 per month, with Izmir cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Izmir
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
09:23 9:23 AM
00:23 12:23 AM
9 h behind Izmir
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,493,242
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

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
  • Izmir Nosara 11,230 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Izmir
  • 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
Izmir vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Izmir or Nosara?
Izmir wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Izmir the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Izmir or in Nosara?
Average pay runs 31% higher in Izmir, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Izmir compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $603 in Izmir versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Izmir compared to Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,243 per month in Izmir versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Izmir compared to Nosara?
A monthly transit pass in Izmir runs roughly 70% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Izmir or in Nosara?
At $1,243 in Izmir versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Izmir but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Izmir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Izmir or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Izmir delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,243 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Izmir hard to pass up.
How safe is Izmir compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Izmir 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Izmir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Izmir vs other spots: cost of living compared

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