Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lousã and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Lousã: $1,617 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Lousã
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Lousã Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lousã

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,617

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,617 per month in Lousã vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Lousã $1,617
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,372 per month in Lousã vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Lousã $2,372
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,128 per month in Lousã vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Lousã $3,128
Nosara $3,814

Lousã is about 12% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lousã and Nosara sit above the global median – Lousã by 19%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 €12.07

$12.34 ₡5,535

9.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.92 €41.74

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-23.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 €8.09

$7.76 ₡3,481

17.27%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.89

$4.44 ₡1,992

-52.03%

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

$2.00 €1.78

$1.79 ₡803

11.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.29 ₡580

11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.24 ₡1,451

-32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$4.43 ₡1,985

-38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.55 ₡696

-31.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.34

$3.08 ₡1,380

-51.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.53 ₡1,133

-33.60%

Eggs

$2.82 €2.51

$3.45 ₡1,546

-18.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 €10.35

$7.32 ₡3,284

59.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 €6.74

$10.24 ₡4,594

-26.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 €12.93

$14.10 ₡6,326

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.29 ₡1,027

-14.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.64 ₡737

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$4.79 ₡2,149

-61.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.64 ₡735

54.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$3.85 ₡1,727

-52.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$3.75 ₡1,681

-47.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.09 ₡488

45.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$2.59 ₡1,160

-72.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.75

$5.12 ₡2,295

26.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 €4.04

$19.92 ₡8,931

-77.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.80 ₡1,255

-55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.92

$3.52 ₡1,580

-38.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.22 ₡549

85.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.25 €36.69

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-44.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.90

$2.17 ₡973

102.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.56 ₡698

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.83 €12.30

$8.67 ₡3,886

59.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.55 ₡697

34.84%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-3.14%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-0.34%

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

$106 €94.3

$94.8 ₡42.5K

11.85%

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

$17.49 €15.56

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-51.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.93 €28.41

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-39.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 €36.73

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 €14.96

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-52.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.28 €7.36

$7.91 ₡3,548

4.68%

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

$458 €407

$490 ₡219.9K

-6.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,410 €5,702

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-46.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 €86.0

$54.8 ₡24.6K

76.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.44 €31.52

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-36.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 €66.8

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €93.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

35.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 €868

$801 ₡359.1K

21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 €682

$790 ₡354.1K

-2.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 €1,379

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-61.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 €1,051

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-16.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,980 €2,650

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-57.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,237 €1,990

$1,236 ₡554.3K

81.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

8.62

-57.08%

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

Last update for Lousã: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lousã

$766 47.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 3% $23

Groceries & Markets

Lousã

$243 15%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 43.8% $107

Eating Out

Lousã

$192 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 11% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lousã

$155 9.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 18.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Lousã

$141 8.7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 13.9% $20

Getting Around

Lousã

$62 3.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 43.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lousã

$58 3.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 54.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $976 in Lousã 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Lousã versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $350 – making Lousã the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lousã

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

14:23 2:23 PM

7 h behind Lousã

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,007

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 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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lousã Nosara 8,230 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lousã
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

Lousã vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,617 in Lousã, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,425 per month in Lousã and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lousã, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Lousã and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,617 in Lousã and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lousã, where all-in costs run around $1,617, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Lousã it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,617 in Lousã to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Lousã. 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.