Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Spezia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in La Spezia: $1,710 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in La Spezia
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La Spezia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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La Spezia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,710

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,710 per month in La Spezia vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

La Spezia $1,710
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in La Spezia vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

La Spezia $2,606
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,501 per month in La Spezia vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

La Spezia $3,501
Nosara $3,818

La Spezia is about 7% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both La Spezia and Nosara sit above the global median – La Spezia by 27%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 €14.74

$12.35 ₡5,539

34.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 €70.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

29.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 €8.78

$7.52 ₡3,373

31.25%

Cappuccino

$1.78 €1.59

$4.41 ₡1,978

-59.64%

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

$2.62 €2.33

$1.74 ₡780

50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.05

$1.31 ₡587

-9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$3.28 ₡1,471

73.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €4.08

$4.47 ₡2,004

2.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.56 ₡701

-8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.64

$3.02 ₡1,355

-39.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.51 ₡1,125

-14.74%

Eggs

$4.29 €3.82

$3.57 ₡1,603

20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.28 €18.04

$7.43 ₡3,333

172.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 €10.99

$10.52 ₡4,717

17.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €17.12

$13.97 ₡6,265

37.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 €3.35

$2.35 ₡1,052

60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.61 ₡720

34.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 €2.52

$4.80 ₡2,152

-40.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 €4.06

$1.61 ₡724

183.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.94

$3.80 ₡1,703

-42.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$3.69 ₡1,657

-50.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.13 ₡507

41.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$2.66 ₡1,191

-77.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.85

$5.18 ₡2,321

27.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 €6.03

$19.88 ₡8,916

-65.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.56

$3.63 ₡1,626

-51.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.12 ₡504

53.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.01 €32.92

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-49.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €4.04

$2.14 ₡958

112.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.57 ₡703

7.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.67 €20.17

$8.52 ₡3,823

166.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.52 ₡682

28.29%

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

$34.5K €30.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

59.57%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

13.08%

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

$182 €162

$96.3 ₡43.2K

89.50%

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

$6.34 €5.64

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-82.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.85 €24.77

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-48.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.14 €33.03

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-48.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.05 €33.85

$34.91 ₡15.7K

8.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €9.06

$7.89 ₡3,539

29.15%

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

$491 €436

$494 ₡221.6K

-0.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,837

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-6.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 €68.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

42.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.52 €29.82

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-39.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

41.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 €88.3

$79.6 ₡35.7K

24.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 €674

$788 ₡353.4K

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 €573

$794 ₡356.2K

-18.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,105

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-68.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 €866

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-31.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 €2,503

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-59.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,294 €2,041

$1,224 ₡549.0K

87.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,727 €1,536

$864 ₡387.3K

99.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

8.62

-56.73%

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

Last update for La Spezia: 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

La Spezia

$644 37.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 23.3% $150

Groceries & Markets

La Spezia

$354 20.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 0.6% $2.1

Eating Out

La Spezia

$236 13.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 10.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Spezia

$217 12.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 14.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

La Spezia

$144 8.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 16.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

La Spezia

$58 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 51.9% $30

Getting Around

La Spezia

$57 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 53.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $757 in La Spezia 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 100% higher in La Spezia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in La Spezia versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 La Spezia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

04:18 4:18 AM

8 h behind La Spezia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,391

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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

La Spezia Nosara 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

La Spezia
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

La Spezia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,565 per month in La Spezia 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 La Spezia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $491 per month in La Spezia and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in La Spezia, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in Nosara at $1,839. In La Spezia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Spezia – 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 La Spezia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.