Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madeira and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Madeira: $1,597 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Madeira
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Madeira Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,597

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,597 in Madeira versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Madeira $1,597
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,383 in Madeira versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Madeira $2,383
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,169 in Madeira versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Madeira $3,169
Nosara $3,712

Living in Madeira costs roughly 13% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madeira 19% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 €10.37

$12.22 ₡5,509

-4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.16 €41.19

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-23.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 €8.14

$7.54 ₡3,399

20.95%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.88

$4.31 ₡1,941

-51.28%

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

$1.85 €1.65

$1.72 ₡773

7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.35 ₡608

5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 €2.03

$3.24 ₡1,459

-29.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.16

$4.48 ₡2,018

-20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.57 ₡707

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.37

$3.17 ₡1,429

-51.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.43

$2.42 ₡1,091

-33.88%

Eggs

$2.99 €2.67

$3.57 ₡1,609

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 €10.29

$7.43 ₡3,349

55.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 €6.86

$10.42 ₡4,697

-26.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 €12.49

$13.66 ₡6,156

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.10

$2.32 ₡1,044

1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.61 ₡728

-12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.61

$4.74 ₡2,138

-62.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$1.66 ₡747

50.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$3.72 ₡1,679

-59.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$3.57 ₡1,611

-46.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.10 ₡497

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 €5.39

$4.95 ₡2,232

22.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.22 €4.66

$20.01 ₡9,020

-73.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.79 ₡1,256

-53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.53 ₡1,589

-34.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.11

$1.19 ₡537

98.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.32 €37.77

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-41.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.82

$2.24 ₡1,011

91.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 €0.71

$1.55 ₡701

-49.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.53 €15.65

$8.86 ₡3,993

97.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.57 ₡708

21.02%

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

$35.4K €31.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

62.22%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

12.83%

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

$134 €120

$93.5 ₡42.1K

43.39%

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

$20.90 €18.65

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-40.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.95 €37.44

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-18.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.41 €38.74

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-39.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.37 €15.50

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-50.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 €7.45

$7.84 ₡3,535

6.51%

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

$473 €422

$490 ₡220.7K

-3.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,183 €7,303

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-31.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 €66.7

$53.5 ₡24.1K

39.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 €34.01

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-31.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 €82.0

$79.3 ₡35.7K

15.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.8 €82.8

$78.9 ₡35.6K

17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 €816

$786 ₡354.3K

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 €640

$780 ₡351.6K

-8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 €1,291

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-62.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 €1,021

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-18.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,012 €2,688

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-56.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,356 €2,103

$1,201 ₡541.3K

96.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

8.62

-41.88%

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

Last update for Madeira: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madeira

$717 45.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 8.7% $62

Groceries & Markets

Madeira

$246 15.5%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 42.2% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madeira

$197 12.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 8.5% $17

Eating Out

Madeira

$177 11.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 18.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Madeira

$134 8.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Madeira

$60 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.9% $27

Getting Around

Madeira

$60 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $914 in Madeira and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Madeira vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $350 per month, with Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Madeira

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

7 h behind Madeira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154

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

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Highest

Between locations

Madeira Nosara 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Madeira
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

Madeira vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madeira is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,395 in Madeira and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $914 in Madeira versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,597 per month in Madeira versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Madeira runs roughly 70% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,597 in Madeira versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Madeira but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Madeira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Madeira is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Madeira 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 Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.