Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naousa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Naousa: $1,473 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Naousa
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,473
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,473 in Naousa versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Naousa $1,473
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,214 in Naousa versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Naousa $2,214
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,955 in Naousa versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Naousa $2,955
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Naousa 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: Naousa 9% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.20 €13.56
$12.35 ₡5,547
23.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.3 €48.41
$61.2 ₡27.5K
-11.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.00 €8.03
$7.52 ₡3,377
19.68%
Cappuccino
$3.71 €3.31
$4.41 ₡1,981
-15.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 €2.09
$1.74 ₡781
34.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 €0.51
$1.31 ₡588
-55.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.17 €4.61
$3.28 ₡1,473
57.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76 €5.14
$4.47 ₡2,007
28.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.56 ₡702
-1.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 €1.29
$3.02 ₡1,357
-51.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$2.51 ₡1,127
5.58%
Eggs
$4.63 €4.13
$3.57 ₡1,605
29.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.25 €11.81
$7.43 ₡3,338
78.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.63 €8.58
$10.52 ₡4,724
-8.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.26 €12.71
$13.97 ₡6,274
2.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.35 ₡1,054
-5.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.61 ₡721
29.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$4.80 ₡2,155
-71.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.61 ₡725
24.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$3.80 ₡1,706
-70.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 €1.04
$3.69 ₡1,659
-68.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.13 ₡507
-5.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.78
$2.66 ₡1,193
-66.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.44 €4.85
$5.18 ₡2,324
5.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.01 €6.25
$19.88 ₡8,929
-64.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 €1.79
$2.90 ₡1,302
-30.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 €2.29
$3.63 ₡1,628
-29.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.12 ₡505
17.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.44 €44.08
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-31.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.25 €3.79
$2.14 ₡959
98.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.57 ₡704
-24.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.55 €12.97
$8.52 ₡3,828
70.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.52 ₡683
44.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K €24.5K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
27.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K €19.4K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-37.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 €184
$96.3 ₡43.2K
114.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.59 €21.93
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-31.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.69 €27.37
$53.6 ₡24.1K
-42.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.2 €45.63
$71.6 ₡32.2K
-28.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.25 €19.84
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-36.26%
Cinema Ticket
$8.69 €7.75
$7.89 ₡3,544
10.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$410 €366
$494 ₡221.9K
-17.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,214 €7,323
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-30.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.2 €79.5
$53.9 ₡24.2K
65.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.12 €30.42
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-38.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.2 €77.7
$77.9 ₡35.0K
11.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 €122
$79.6 ₡35.8K
72.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$479 €427
$788 ₡353.9K
-39.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$400 €357
$794 ₡356.7K
-49.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$746 €665
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-81.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 €548
$1,419 ₡637.4K
-56.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,933 €2,615
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-57.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,314 €2,063
$1,224 ₡549.8K
89.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Naousa
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$963 €859
$864 ₡387.8K
11.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.46
8.62
-48.26%

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

Last update for Naousa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Naousa
$400
Nosara
$794 98.6% $394
Groceries & Markets
Naousa
$279
Nosara
$352 26.5% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naousa
$262
Nosara
$186 29.1% $76
Eating Out
Naousa
$242
Nosara
$212 12.6% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Naousa
$157
Nosara
$120 23.3% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Naousa
$69
Nosara
$87 27.5% $19
Getting Around
Naousa
$65
Nosara
$87 34.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Naousa and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naousa pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Naousa vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $352 per month, with Naousa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Naousa
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:24 2:24 PM
05:24 5:24 AM
9 h behind Naousa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,870
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Naousa Nosara 10,740 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Naousa
  • 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
Naousa vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Naousa and in Nosara?
Naousa and Nosara differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,473 vs $1,839 including rent). Naousa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Naousa or Nosara?
Average pay runs 12% higher in Naousa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Naousa and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $479 in Naousa versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Naousa and Nosara?
Childcare runs $410 in Naousa versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,473 in Naousa versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Naousa but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Naousa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Naousa and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Naousa or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Naousa 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.
Where should expats move: Naousa or Nosara?
Expats usually find Naousa 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.

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