Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mons and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Mons and in Nosara: $1,893 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

Mons
🇧🇪 Belgium
$1,893
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,893 in Mons versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Mons $1,893
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,798 in Mons versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Mons $2,798
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,704 in Mons versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Mons $3,704
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Mons is roughly 3% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mons 40% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mons
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.03 €15.15
$12.35 ₡5,539
37.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.4 €73.3
$61.2 ₡27.4K
34.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.05 €8.94
$7.52 ₡3,373
33.64%
Cappuccino
$2.51 €2.23
$4.41 ₡1,978
-43.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$1.74 ₡780
57.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.31 ₡587
29.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.44
$3.28 ₡1,471
17.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 €3.83
$4.47 ₡2,004
-3.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mons
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.56 ₡701
-25.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.02 ₡1,355
-27.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.51 ₡1,125
-12.35%
Eggs
$4.10 €3.64
$3.57 ₡1,603
14.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.83 €16.75
$7.43 ₡3,333
153.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.42 €11.05
$10.52 ₡4,717
18.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.48 €17.33
$13.97 ₡6,265
39.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 €2.43
$2.35 ₡1,052
16.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.36 €2.10
$1.61 ₡720
46.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.60 €2.31
$4.80 ₡2,152
-45.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.79 €2.48
$1.61 ₡724
73.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$3.80 ₡1,703
-43.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 €1.03
$3.69 ₡1,657
-68.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.13 ₡507
15.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$2.66 ₡1,191
-59.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.66 €8.59
$5.18 ₡2,321
86.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.65 €5.02
$19.88 ₡8,916
-71.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.90 ₡1,300
-34.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 €1.61
$3.63 ₡1,626
-50.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Mons
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.04 €2.71
$1.12 ₡504
171.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.67 €37.06
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-42.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.95 €9.74
$2.14 ₡958
411.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.85 €2.54
$1.57 ₡703
81.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.21 €22.42
$8.52 ₡3,823
195.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 €1.63
$1.52 ₡682
20.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K €31.7K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
65.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K €29.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-3.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mons
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 €198
$96.3 ₡43.2K
131.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.52 €18.25
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-42.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.91 €40.84
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-14.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mons
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.32 €23.41
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-63.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.37 €16.34
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-47.38%
Cinema Ticket
$12.18 €10.84
$7.89 ₡3,539
54.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mons
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$552 €491
$494 ₡221.6K
11.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.0K €18.7K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
77.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mons
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106 €94.7
$53.9 ₡24.2K
97.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.28 €41.17
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-16.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.3
$77.9 ₡34.9K
38.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 €131
$79.6 ₡35.7K
84.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mons
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$686 €610
$788 ₡353.4K
-12.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$709 €630
$794 ₡356.2K
-10.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,031 €917
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-73.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$996 €886
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-29.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,094 €3,641
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-40.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,906 €2,585
$1,224 ₡549.0K
137.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mons
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,796 €2,487
$864 ₡387.3K
223.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
8.62
-62.88%

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

Last update for Mons: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mons
$709
Nosara
$794 12.1% $86
Groceries & Markets
Mons
$339
Nosara
$352 3.9% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mons
$290
Nosara
$186 35.8% $104
Eating Out
Mons
$242
Nosara
$212 12.5% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Mons
$184
Nosara
$120 34.6% $63
Getting Around
Mons
$79
Nosara
$87 10.2% $8.1
Sport & Entertainment
Mons
$51
Nosara
$87 72.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $686 in Mons and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mons pays 224% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Mons vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $339 vs $352, with Mons cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Mons
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
06:12 6:12 AM
22:12 10:12 PM
8 h behind Mons
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,721
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Mons Nosara 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mons
  • 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
Mons vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Mons?
Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mons or Nosara?
Average pay runs 224% higher in Mons, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Mons and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $686 in Mons versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Mons and in Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,893 per month in Mons versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 74% less than in Mons. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Mons or in Nosara?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,893 in Mons, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Mons. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Mons or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mons, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Mons or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Mons 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Mons. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Mons vs other spots: cost of living compared

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