Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $1,999 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Lyon despite lower rent and utilities.

99

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$1,999

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,999 per month in Lyon vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Lyon $1,999
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,120 per month in Lyon vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Lyon $3,120
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,240 per month in Lyon vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Lyon $4,240
Nosara $3,712

Lyon costs about 9% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lyon and Nosara sit above the global median – Lyon by 49%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 €15.05

$12.22 ₡5,509

38.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €61.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

13.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 €11.79

$7.54 ₡3,399

75.46%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.65

$4.31 ₡1,941

-5.10%

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

$2.79 €2.48

$1.72 ₡773

62.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.35 ₡608

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 €6.96

$3.24 ₡1,459

141.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 €5.35

$4.48 ₡2,018

33.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.57 ₡707

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.17 ₡1,429

-40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.42 ₡1,091

4.55%

Eggs

$4.98 €4.44

$3.57 ₡1,609

39.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.71 €20.25

$7.43 ₡3,349

205.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 €11.20

$10.42 ₡4,697

20.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.40 €20.86

$13.66 ₡6,156

71.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$1.61 ₡728

54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.12

$4.74 ₡2,138

-26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 €2.97

$1.66 ₡747

101.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$3.72 ₡1,679

-30.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$3.57 ₡1,611

-17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.10 ₡497

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$2.55 ₡1,149

-56.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 €12.55

$4.95 ₡2,232

184.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 €7.21

$20.01 ₡9,020

-59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.79 ₡1,256

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 €3.00

$3.53 ₡1,589

-4.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.06

$1.19 ₡537

94.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 €74.4

$72.1 ₡32.5K

15.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 €7.37

$2.24 ₡1,011

268.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.55 ₡701

41.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.44 €37.84

$8.86 ₡3,993

379.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.57 ₡708

41.40%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

57.66%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

0.06%

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

$271 €241

$93.5 ₡42.1K

189.61%

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

$14.32 €12.77

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-59.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.07 €26.81

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-41.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 €35.20

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.23 €25.17

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-20.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 €13.25

$7.84 ₡3,535

89.54%

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

$636 €567

$490 ₡220.7K

29.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-3.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 €105

$53.5 ₡24.1K

119.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.54 €38.82

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €109

$79.3 ₡35.7K

54.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$78.9 ₡35.6K

63.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 €784

$786 ₡354.3K

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 €604

$780 ₡351.6K

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 €1,586

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-53.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,159

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-7.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,332 €5,646

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-9.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,546

$1,201 ₡541.3K

231.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,091 €2,756

$876 ₡395.0K

252.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

8.62

-57.31%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$678 33.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 15.1% $102

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$392 19.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$315 15.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 42.8% $135

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 28.5% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$186 9.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 35.1% $65

Getting Around

Lyon

$112 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 22.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 25.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $879 in Lyon versus $786 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 253% higher in Lyon, 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 $68.0 in Lyon versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

02:19 2:19 AM

8 h behind Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

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

Lyon Nosara 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
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

Lyon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 9% 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 $2,999 per month in Lyon and $2,756 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,999 in Lyon and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Lyon at $1,999. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $1,999 in Lyon. 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, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.