Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Motril and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Motril: $1,470 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Motril
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Motril Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Motril

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,470

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,470 in Motril versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Motril $1,470
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,199 in Motril versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Motril $2,199
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,929 in Motril versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Motril $2,929
Nosara $3,818

Living in Motril costs roughly 20% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Motril 9% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.84 €14.98

$12.35 ₡5,539

36.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 €49.98

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-8.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 €6.13

$7.52 ₡3,373

-8.38%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.77

$4.41 ₡1,978

-54.88%

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

$2.78 €2.47

$1.74 ₡780

59.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.31 ₡587

-12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 €3.96

$3.28 ₡1,471

35.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$4.47 ₡2,004

26.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.56 ₡701

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.55

$3.02 ₡1,355

-42.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 €1.25

$2.51 ₡1,125

-43.82%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.57 ₡1,603

13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 €11.83

$7.43 ₡3,333

79.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 €3.93

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.31 €14.51

$13.97 ₡6,265

16.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €2.02

$2.35 ₡1,052

-2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.61 ₡720

41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$4.80 ₡2,152

-54.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.61 ₡724

70.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$3.80 ₡1,703

-52.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 €2.42

$3.69 ₡1,657

-26.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.13 ₡507

50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.60

$2.66 ₡1,191

-74.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 €5.90

$5.18 ₡2,321

28.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 €8.04

$19.88 ₡8,916

-54.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$2.90 ₡1,300

-47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.94

$3.63 ₡1,626

-39.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.12 ₡504

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.93 €31.96

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-50.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 €1.74

$2.14 ₡958

-8.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.57 ₡703

-28.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.20 €19.75

$8.52 ₡3,823

160.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.52 ₡682

12.50%

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

$26.0K €23.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

20.16%

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

$28.6K €25.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-17.15%

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

$76.6 €68.1

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-20.47%

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

$15.80 €14.06

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-55.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.30 €19.84

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-58.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €45.29

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-28.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.75 €14.01

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-54.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 €5.85

$7.89 ₡3,539

-16.60%

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

$250 €223

$494 ₡221.6K

-49.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

12.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.27 €29.59

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-38.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.19 €25.07

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-49.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 €69.0

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.11 €40.12

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-43.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 €781

$788 ₡353.4K

11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 €591

$794 ₡356.2K

-16.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 €1,214

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-65.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 €884

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-29.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,188 €2,836

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-53.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,159 €1,921

$1,224 ₡549.0K

76.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,681 €1,495

$864 ₡387.3K

94.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.20%

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

Last update for Motril: 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

Motril

$665 45.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 19.5% $129

Groceries & Markets

Motril

$265 18%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 33.2% $88

Eating Out

Motril

$228 15.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 7.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Motril

$115 7.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 62% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Motril

$83 5.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 45% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Motril

$64 4.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.3% $23

Getting Around

Motril

$50 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 74.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $878 in Motril and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Motril pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Motril vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $352 per month, with Motril cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Motril

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

20:29 8:29 PM

8 h behind Motril

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,939

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Motril Nosara 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Motril
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

Motril vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Motril is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Motril, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $878 in Motril versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Motril – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,470 per month in Motril versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,470 in Motril versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Motril but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Motril the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Motril 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, Motril 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 Motril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.