Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leeuwarden and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,569 in Leeuwarden, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
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Leeuwarden Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,569

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,569 per month in Leeuwarden vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Leeuwarden $2,569
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,793 per month in Leeuwarden vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Leeuwarden $3,793
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,018 per month in Leeuwarden vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Leeuwarden $5,018
Nosara $3,818

Leeuwarden costs about 40% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Leeuwarden and Nosara sit above the global median – Leeuwarden by 90%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.90 €19.48

$12.35 ₡5,539

77.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$61.2 ₡27.4K

85.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.35 €13.66

$7.52 ₡3,373

104.12%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.42

$4.41 ₡1,978

-12.70%

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

$3.64 €3.24

$1.74 ₡780

109.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.61

$1.31 ₡587

123.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.99

$3.28 ₡1,471

105.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.66

$4.47 ₡2,004

17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.56 ₡701

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.02 ₡1,355

-38.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.51 ₡1,125

-3.59%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.79

$3.57 ₡1,603

19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 €11.19

$7.43 ₡3,333

69.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.26 €12.69

$10.52 ₡4,717

35.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 €14.02

$13.97 ₡6,265

12.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.35 ₡1,052

-2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$1.61 ₡720

54.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$4.80 ₡2,152

-60.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 €4.55

$1.61 ₡724

218.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$3.80 ₡1,703

-53.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.13 ₡507

3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.98 €12.44

$5.18 ₡2,321

169.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.40

$19.88 ₡8,916

-63.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$3.63 ₡1,626

-52.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.12 ₡504

203.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 €114

$72.6 ₡32.6K

77.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 €7.83

$2.14 ₡958

311.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.83 €3.41

$1.57 ₡703

143.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.76 €44.27

$8.52 ₡3,823

484.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.52 ₡682

61.18%

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

$41.7K €37.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

93.15%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

13.61%

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

$365 €325

$96.3 ₡43.2K

279.47%

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

$43.62 €38.80

$35.89 ₡16.1K

21.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.88 €40.81

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-14.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 €33.01

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-48.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-47.38%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 €14.93

$7.89 ₡3,539

112.80%

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

$1,330 €1,183

$494 ₡221.6K

169.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

91.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €101

$53.9 ₡24.2K

110.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.36 €35.01

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €115

$77.9 ₡34.9K

65.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €120

$79.6 ₡35.7K

69.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 €1,228

$788 ₡353.4K

75.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €909

$794 ₡356.2K

28.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,779 €3,361

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-4.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 €1,407

$1,419 ₡636.5K

11.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,620 €3,220

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-47.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,276 €2,914

$1,224 ₡549.0K

167.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,004 €2,672

$864 ₡387.3K

247.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

8.62

-49.19%

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

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 22.3% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leeuwarden

$455 17.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 59.2% $269

Eating Out

Leeuwarden

$338 13.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 37.3% $126

Groceries & Markets

Leeuwarden

$325 12.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 8.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Leeuwarden

$188 7.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 36% $67

Getting Around

Leeuwarden

$170 6.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 48.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Leeuwarden

$71 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 23.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Leeuwarden 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 248% higher in Leeuwarden, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Leeuwarden versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Leeuwarden vs $352 in Nosara – so Leeuwarden wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

8 h behind Leeuwarden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,992

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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Leeuwarden Nosara 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Leeuwarden
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

Leeuwarden vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leeuwarden costs about 40% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,853 per month in Leeuwarden 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,330 per month in Leeuwarden 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 8% cheaper in Leeuwarden – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Leeuwarden at $2,569. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leeuwarden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,569 in Leeuwarden. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leeuwarden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.