Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montijo and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Montijo and in Nosara: $1,889 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

Montijo
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,889
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,889 per month in Montijo vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Montijo $1,889
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,635 per month in Montijo vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Montijo $2,635
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,380 per month in Montijo vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Montijo $3,380
  • Nosara $3,818

Montijo costs about 3% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montijo and Nosara sit above the global median – Montijo by 40%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.33 €10.97
$12.35 ₡5,539
-0.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.50 €40.47
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-25.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.06 €8.06
$7.52 ₡3,373
20.48%
Cappuccino
$2.58 €2.29
$4.41 ₡1,978
-41.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.85
$1.74 ₡780
19.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.31 ₡587
31.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 €3.01
$3.28 ₡1,471
3.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.99 €3.55
$4.47 ₡2,004
-10.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.56 ₡701
-15.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.14 €1.90
$3.02 ₡1,355
-29.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 €1.81
$2.51 ₡1,125
-18.73%
Eggs
$3.38 €3.01
$3.57 ₡1,603
-5.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.73 €9.55
$7.43 ₡3,333
44.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.95 €6.19
$10.52 ₡4,717
-33.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.33 €13.63
$13.97 ₡6,265
9.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 €2.46
$2.35 ₡1,052
17.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.61 ₡720
-12.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.84 €1.64
$4.80 ₡2,152
-61.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.84 €2.53
$1.61 ₡724
76.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 €1.43
$3.80 ₡1,703
-57.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.12 €1.88
$3.69 ₡1,657
-42.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 €1.44
$1.13 ₡507
43.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 €0.70
$2.66 ₡1,191
-70.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.94 €5.29
$5.18 ₡2,321
14.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.76 €6.01
$19.88 ₡8,916
-66.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 €0.80
$2.90 ₡1,300
-68.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.40
$3.63 ₡1,626
-56.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.12 ₡504
93.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.19 €39.31
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-39.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.14 ₡958
2.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.57 ₡703
-35.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.29 €16.27
$8.52 ₡3,823
114.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 €1.90
$1.52 ₡682
40.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K €30.3K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
57.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.4K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
8.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 €121
$96.3 ₡43.2K
40.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.08 €18.75
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-41.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.8 €51.4
$53.6 ₡24.0K
7.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.97 €19.54
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-69.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.56 €15.62
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-49.70%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 €7.04
$7.89 ₡3,539
0.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$457 €407
$494 ₡221.6K
-7.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K €10.1K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-4.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 €58.4
$53.9 ₡24.2K
21.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.27 €33.15
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-32.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.1 €63.2
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-8.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.0 €84.5
$79.6 ₡35.7K
19.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 €1,046
$788 ₡353.4K
49.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$999 €889
$794 ₡356.2K
25.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,698 €1,510
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-56.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,421 €1,264
$1,419 ₡636.5K
0.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,064 €2,726
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-55.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,230 €1,983
$1,224 ₡549.0K
82.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montijo
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,113 €990
$864 ₡387.3K
28.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
8.62
-57.42%

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

Last update for Montijo: 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
Montijo
$999
Nosara
$794 20.5% $205
Groceries & Markets
Montijo
$259
Nosara
$352 35.9% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montijo
$215
Nosara
$186 13.4% $29
Eating Out
Montijo
$197
Nosara
$212 7.6% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Montijo
$121
Nosara
$120 0.8% $1
Getting Around
Montijo
$60
Nosara
$87 44.8% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Montijo
$38
Nosara
$87 131% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,176 in Montijo versus $788 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 29% higher in Montijo, 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 $45.00 in Montijo versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $352 – making Montijo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Montijo
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
00:21 12:21 AM
17:21 5:21 PM
7 h behind Montijo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
55,689
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
  • Montijo Nosara 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montijo
  • 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
Montijo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Montijo?
Yes – Montijo is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,834 per month in Montijo and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Montijo and in Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,889 in Montijo and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 3%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 64% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Montijo or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Montijo at $1,889. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montijo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Montijo or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Montijo or 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montijo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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