Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lamia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Lamia: $1,192 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Lamia
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Lamia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lamia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,192

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Lamia vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Lamia $1,192
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,853 per month in Lamia vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Lamia $1,853
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,515 per month in Lamia vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Lamia $2,515
Nosara $3,818

Lamia is about 35% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lamia sits 12% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €15.18

$12.35 ₡5,539

38.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 €48.75

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 €7.52

$7.52 ₡3,373

12.37%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.75

$4.41 ₡1,978

-29.93%

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

$1.37 €1.22

$1.74 ₡780

-21.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 €0.43

$1.31 ₡587

-62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 €4.50

$3.28 ₡1,471

54.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 €5.54

$4.47 ₡2,004

39.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.56 ₡701

7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.02 ₡1,355

-63.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.51 ₡1,125

-18.73%

Eggs

$3.45 €3.07

$3.57 ₡1,603

-3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 €8.23

$7.43 ₡3,333

24.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 €5.37

$10.52 ₡4,717

-42.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 €8.17

$13.97 ₡6,265

-34.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$2.35 ₡1,052

-16.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.61 ₡720

36.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$4.80 ₡2,152

-58.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.61 ₡724

33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.02

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 €0.51

$1.13 ₡507

-48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$2.66 ₡1,191

-66.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 €4.39

$5.18 ₡2,321

-4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 €6.25

$19.88 ₡8,916

-64.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$2.90 ₡1,300

-68.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.63 ₡1,626

-37.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.12 ₡504

16.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 €36.76

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-43.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 €3.70

$2.14 ₡958

93.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.57 ₡703

-27.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.71 €14.87

$8.52 ₡3,823

96.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.52 ₡682

35.53%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

29.67%

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

$27.2K €24.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.32%

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

$197 €175

$96.3 ₡43.2K

104.36%

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

$22.56 €20.06

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-37.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 €27.02

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-43.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.94

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-23.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.51 €22.69

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-26.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 €6.78

$7.89 ₡3,539

-3.42%

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

$275 €244

$494 ₡221.6K

-44.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,477 €5,762

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-45.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.11 €35.68

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-25.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.68 €40.63

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 €59.7

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €116

$79.6 ₡35.7K

63.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 €432

$788 ₡353.4K

-38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 €200

$794 ₡356.2K

-71.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 €442

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-87.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 €346

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-72.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 €2,349

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-61.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,193 €1,951

$1,224 ₡549.0K

79.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 €989

$864 ₡387.3K

28.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

8.62

-38.05%

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

Last update for Lamia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lamia

$250 21%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 25.6% $64

Eating Out

Lamia

$244 20.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 13.3% $32

Accommodation & Living

Lamia

$225 18.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 253% $569

Groceries & Markets

Lamia

$219 18.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 61.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Lamia

$128 10.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 5.8% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lamia

$70 5.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.4% $17

Getting Around

Lamia

$56 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 54.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $486 in Lamia 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 29% higher in Lamia, 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 $55.0 in Lamia versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $352 – making Lamia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Lamia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

13:24 1:24 PM

9 h behind Lamia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,006

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Lamia Nosara 10,830 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Lamia
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

Lamia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 54% more than Lamia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,788 per month in Lamia 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 Lamia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Lamia and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lamia, where all-in costs run around $1,192, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lamia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lamia costs $1,192 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Lamia. 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.