Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lourdes and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Lourdes and in Nosara: $1,797 and $1,835 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lourdes
🇫🇷 France
$1,797
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,797 per month in Lourdes vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Lourdes $1,797
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,796 per month in Lourdes vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Lourdes $2,796
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,795 per month in Lourdes vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Lourdes $3,795
  • Nosara $3,814

Lourdes is about 2% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lourdes and Nosara sit above the global median – Lourdes by 33%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.05 €15.17
$12.34 ₡5,535
38.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 €60.2
$61.3 ₡27.5K
10.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.55 €12.05
$7.76 ₡3,481
74.61%
Cappuccino
$3.62 €3.22
$4.44 ₡1,992
-18.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.67
$1.79 ₡803
67.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.29 ₡580
45.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.07 €6.29
$3.24 ₡1,451
118.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$4.43 ₡1,985
27.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.15
$1.55 ₡696
-16.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$3.08 ₡1,380
-39.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$2.53 ₡1,133
0.79%
Eggs
$4.04 €3.59
$3.45 ₡1,546
17.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.44 €17.29
$7.32 ₡3,284
165.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.40 €11.03
$10.24 ₡4,594
21.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.74 €19.34
$14.10 ₡6,326
54.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 €2.66
$2.29 ₡1,027
30.57%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.64 ₡737
32.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 €2.54
$4.79 ₡2,149
-40.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 €2.85
$1.64 ₡735
95.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$3.85 ₡1,727
-49.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$3.75 ₡1,681
-38.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.09 ₡488
25.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 €0.62
$2.59 ₡1,160
-73.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.88 €12.35
$5.12 ₡2,295
171.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.88 €7.01
$19.92 ₡8,931
-60.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.80 ₡1,255
-1.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 €2.92
$3.52 ₡1,580
-6.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.22 ₡549
34.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.66 €42.39
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-35.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.07 €4.51
$2.17 ₡973
133.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 €1.82
$1.56 ₡698
31.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.73 €29.12
$8.67 ₡3,886
277.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.84
$1.55 ₡697
32.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-2.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.8K €31.0K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-10.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$208 €185
$94.8 ₡42.5K
119.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.84 €14.09
$36.15 ₡16.2K
-56.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.27 €27.82
$53.1 ₡23.8K
-41.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.27 €31.37
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-52.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.62 €12.12
$7.91 ₡3,548
72.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$801 €713
$490 ₡219.9K
63.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €9,018
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-14.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.8 €80.8
$54.8 ₡24.6K
65.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 €36.86
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-25.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €90.1
$80.4 ₡36.0K
25.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €118
$77.9 ₡34.9K
70.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$761 €677
$801 ₡359.1K
-4.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 €532
$790 ₡354.1K
-24.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,370 €1,219
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-65.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,135 €1,009
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-19.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,880 €3,452
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-45.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,944 €2,618
$1,236 ₡554.3K
138.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lourdes
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,132 €1,896
$887 ₡397.6K
140.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
8.62
-56.03%

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

Last update for Lourdes: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lourdes
$598
Nosara
$790 31.9% $191
Groceries & Markets
Lourdes
$359
Nosara
$350 2.6% $9.5
Eating Out
Lourdes
$287
Nosara
$213 25.8% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lourdes
$255
Nosara
$184 27.9% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Lourdes
$165
Nosara
$121 26.6% $44
Getting Around
Lourdes
$70
Nosara
$89 27.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Lourdes
$63
Nosara
$90 43.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $761 in Lourdes versus $801 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 140% higher in Lourdes, 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 $68.0 in Lourdes versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Lourdes
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
23:58 11:58 PM
15:58 3:58 PM
8 h behind Lourdes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,509
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lourdes Nosara 8,900 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lourdes
  • 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
Lourdes vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lourdes and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,797 in Lourdes, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lourdes compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,695 per month in Lourdes and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lourdes and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lourdes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Lourdes and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lourdes or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,797 in Lourdes and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 2%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lourdes, where all-in costs run around $1,797, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Lourdes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lourdes and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,797 in Lourdes to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lourdes or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Lourdes and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Lourdes. 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.

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