Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Les Escaldes and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Les Escaldes: $356 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Les Escaldes
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Les Escaldes Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Les Escaldes

🇦🇩 Andorra

$356

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $356 in Les Escaldes versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Les Escaldes $356
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,771 in Les Escaldes versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Les Escaldes $1,771
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,185 in Les Escaldes versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Les Escaldes $3,185
Nosara $3,712

Living in Les Escaldes costs roughly 81% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Les Escaldes is 73% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.71 €13.12

$12.22 ₡5,509

20.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.06 €35.75

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-33.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.83

$7.54 ₡3,399

75.86%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.21

$4.31 ₡1,941

-42.69%

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

$2.59 €2.31

$1.72 ₡773

50.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.35 ₡608

20.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 €2.83

$3.24 ₡1,459

-2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.84

$4.48 ₡2,018

-29.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.57 ₡707

38.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$4.31 €3.84

$3.57 ₡1,609

20.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.04 €15.21

$13.66 ₡6,156

24.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 €3.43

$2.32 ₡1,044

65.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 €5.13

$4.95 ₡2,232

16.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.08

$20.01 ₡9,020

-65.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.19 ₡537

87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.57 ₡708

17.83%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 €2,542

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-26.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,275 €2,031

$1,407 ₡634.4K

61.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.2K €9,989

$1,201 ₡541.3K

832.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,631 €2,348

$876 ₡395.0K

200.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Les Escaldes: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Les Escaldes

$226 63.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 7.4% $17

Groceries & Markets

Les Escaldes

$123 * 34.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 184% $227

Getting Around

Les Escaldes

$8.9 * 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 875% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Les Escaldes

- * 0%

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Les Escaldes

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Les Escaldes

- * 0%

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Accommodation & Living

Les Escaldes

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Les Escaldes pays 200% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Les Escaldes vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $350 per month, with Les Escaldes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇩 Les Escaldes

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

02:28 2:28 AM

8 h behind Les Escaldes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,853

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Les Escaldes Nosara 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Les Escaldes
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

Les Escaldes vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Les Escaldes and Nosara differ by about 416% in total monthly costs ($356 vs $1,837 including rent). Les Escaldes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 200% higher in Les Escaldes, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Les Escaldes – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $356 per month in Les Escaldes versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 416% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $356 in Les Escaldes versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Les Escaldes but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Les Escaldes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Les Escaldes 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.

Expats usually find Les Escaldes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 416% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.