Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modena and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Modena and in Nosara: $1,878 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

Modena
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,878
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,878 per month in Modena vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Modena $1,878
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,029 per month in Modena vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Modena $3,029
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,179 per month in Modena vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Modena $4,179
  • Nosara $3,712

Modena costs about 2% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Modena and Nosara sit above the global median – Modena by 40%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Modena
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.22 €19.83
$12.22 ₡5,509
81.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.7 €79.1
$60.2 ₡27.1K
47.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.50 €12.05
$7.54 ₡3,399
79.05%
Cappuccino
$1.91 €1.71
$4.31 ₡1,941
-55.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 €2.64
$1.72 ₡773
72.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.35 ₡608
22.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.65 €5.93
$3.24 ₡1,459
105.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 €4.96
$4.48 ₡2,018
23.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Modena
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.57 ₡707
-3.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.54 €2.27
$3.17 ₡1,429
-19.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.66 €1.48
$2.42 ₡1,091
-31.40%
Eggs
$4.87 €4.35
$3.57 ₡1,609
36.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.54 €18.33
$7.43 ₡3,349
176.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.92 €12.42
$10.42 ₡4,697
33.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.10 €18.83
$13.66 ₡6,156
54.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 €2.39
$2.32 ₡1,044
15.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$1.61 ₡728
54.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.22 €2.88
$4.74 ₡2,138
-32.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.11 €2.78
$1.66 ₡747
87.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.41 €2.15
$3.72 ₡1,679
-35.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.72 €1.54
$3.57 ₡1,611
-51.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.10 ₡497
23.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 €0.59
$2.55 ₡1,149
-73.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.63 €5.92
$4.95 ₡2,232
33.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.92 €7.96
$20.01 ₡9,020
-55.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 €1.39
$2.79 ₡1,256
-44.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 €2.25
$3.53 ₡1,589
-28.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Modena
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.19 ₡537
89.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.94 €34.75
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-45.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.68 €5.96
$2.24 ₡1,011
198.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.55 ₡701
-5.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.55 €29.05
$8.86 ₡3,993
267.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.57 ₡708
34.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K €32.0K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
64.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K €32.1K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
4.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Modena
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 €169
$93.5 ₡42.1K
103.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.17 €11.75
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-62.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.70 €28.29
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-38.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Modena
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.4 €70.9
$71.4 ₡32.2K
11.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.90 €20.44
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-35.38%
Cinema Ticket
$11.03 €9.84
$7.84 ₡3,535
40.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Modena
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$565 €505
$490 ₡220.7K
15.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.2K €13.6K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
27.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Modena
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.4 €76.2
$53.5 ₡24.1K
59.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.56 €37.98
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-23.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.6 €88.0
$79.3 ₡35.7K
24.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 €93.3
$78.9 ₡35.6K
32.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Modena
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 €743
$786 ₡354.3K
5.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$664 €593
$780 ₡351.6K
-14.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,720 €1,535
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-55.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,340 €1,195
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-4.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,595 €3,208
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-48.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,144 €1,913
$1,201 ₡541.3K
78.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Modena
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,062 €1,840
$876 ₡395.0K
135.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.29
8.62
-61.83%

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

Last update for Modena: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Modena
$664
Nosara
$780 17.4% $115
Groceries & Markets
Modena
$373
Nosara
$350 6.2% $23
Eating Out
Modena
$304
Nosara
$209 31.1% $95
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Modena
$235
Nosara
$180 23.3% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Modena
$149
Nosara
$120 19.2% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Modena
$101
Nosara
$87 14.2% $14
Getting Around
Modena
$62
Nosara
$87 40.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Modena 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 135% higher in Modena, 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 $89.0 in Modena versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Modena
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:15 8:15 AM
00:15 12:15 AM
8 h behind Modena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
184,973
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Modena Nosara 9,740 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Modena
  • 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
Modena vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Modena or Nosara?
Modena costs about 2% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Modena and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,817 per month in Modena and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Modena or Nosara?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Modena and in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Modena and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Modena compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,878 in Modena and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 2%.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Modena or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Modena at $1,878. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Modena or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $1,878 in Modena. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Modena compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Modena or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Modena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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