Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manresa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manresa: $1,260 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Manresa
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,260
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Manresa versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Manresa $1,260
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,994 in Manresa versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Manresa $1,994
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,728 in Manresa versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Manresa $2,728
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Manresa costs roughly 31% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manresa is 7% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.80 €7.83
$12.35 ₡5,539
-28.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.31 €30.52
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-43.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.80 €6.94
$7.52 ₡3,373
3.72%
Cappuccino
$1.84 €1.64
$4.41 ₡1,978
-58.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.74 ₡780
21.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.31 ₡587
-9.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.18 €1.94
$3.28 ₡1,471
-33.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 €1.96
$4.47 ₡2,004
-50.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.56 ₡701
-30.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 €1.07
$3.02 ₡1,355
-60.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.93 €0.82
$2.51 ₡1,125
-62.95%
Eggs
$3.05 €2.71
$3.57 ₡1,603
-14.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.32 €10.07
$7.43 ₡3,333
52.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.29 €7.37
$10.52 ₡4,717
-21.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.23 €8.21
$13.97 ₡6,265
-33.93%
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 €1.66
$2.35 ₡1,052
-20.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.61 ₡720
11.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.65 €1.47
$4.80 ₡2,152
-65.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.44 €2.17
$1.61 ₡724
51.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 €0.98
$3.80 ₡1,703
-70.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.39 €1.23
$3.69 ₡1,657
-62.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.13 ₡507
22.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 €0.31
$2.66 ₡1,191
-86.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.51 €4.90
$5.18 ₡2,321
6.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.46 €4.86
$19.88 ₡8,916
-72.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 €0.61
$2.90 ₡1,300
-76.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.78
$3.63 ₡1,626
-75.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.93
$1.12 ₡504
94.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 €19.62
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-69.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.97 €3.53
$2.14 ₡958
85.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.57 ₡703
-8.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.42 €12.83
$8.52 ₡3,823
69.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.52 ₡682
15.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
78.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K €28.0K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-8.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 €104
$96.3 ₡43.2K
21.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.49 €12.00
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-62.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.14 €22.36
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-53.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.37 €42.13
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-33.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.47 €13.76
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-55.69%
Cinema Ticket
$7.20 €6.41
$7.89 ₡3,539
-8.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €506
$494 ₡221.6K
15.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,949 €8,850
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-16.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.6 €56.5
$53.9 ₡24.2K
17.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.46 €19.09
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-61.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 €97.9
$77.9 ₡34.9K
41.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 €142
$79.6 ₡35.7K
101.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$910 €809
$788 ₡353.4K
15.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$484 €430
$794 ₡356.2K
-39.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,329 €1,182
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-66.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 €899
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-28.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,318 €2,952
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-51.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,244 €1,996
$1,224 ₡549.0K
83.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manresa
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,931 €1,718
$864 ₡387.3K
123.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
8.62
-61.72%

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

Last update for Manresa: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manresa
$484
Nosara
$794 64.2% $311
Groceries & Markets
Manresa
$213
Nosara
$352 65.6% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Manresa
$160
Nosara
$120 24.9% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manresa
$155
Nosara
$186 19.7% $31
Eating Out
Manresa
$145
Nosara
$212 46.6% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Manresa
$62
Nosara
$87 41.4% $26
Getting Around
Manresa
$42
Nosara
$87 108% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Manresa and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manresa pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Manresa vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $352 per month, with Manresa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Manresa
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
22:12 10:12 PM
14:12 2:12 PM
8 h behind Manresa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
78,877
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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
  • Manresa Nosara 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Manresa
  • 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
Manresa vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Manresa or Nosara?
Manresa wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manresa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Manresa or in Nosara?
Average pay runs 124% higher in Manresa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Manresa compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $910 in Manresa versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Manresa compared to Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Manresa versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Manresa compared to Nosara?
A monthly transit pass in Manresa runs roughly 229% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Manresa or in Nosara?
At $1,260 in Manresa versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manresa but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Manresa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Manresa or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Manresa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manresa hard to pass up.
How safe is Manresa compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Manresa 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Manresa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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