Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Nicosia and in Nosara: $1,890 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

Nicosia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,890
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,890 per month in Nicosia vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Nicosia $1,890
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,901 per month in Nicosia vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Nicosia $2,901
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,912 per month in Nicosia vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Nicosia $3,912
  • Nosara $3,712

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

Both Nicosia and Nosara sit above the global median – Nicosia by 41%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.02 €15.19
$12.22 ₡5,509
39.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 €60.4
$60.2 ₡27.1K
12.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.86 €7.91
$7.54 ₡3,399
17.51%
Cappuccino
$3.61 €3.23
$4.31 ₡1,941
-16.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.10
$1.72 ₡773
36.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$1.35 ₡608
-35.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.38 €3.91
$3.24 ₡1,459
35.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.46 €4.87
$4.48 ₡2,018
21.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 €1.63
$1.57 ₡707
16.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.01 €1.80
$3.17 ₡1,429
-36.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 €2.63
$2.42 ₡1,091
21.90%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.34
$3.57 ₡1,609
36.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.37 €11.93
$7.43 ₡3,349
79.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.09 €8.11
$10.42 ₡4,697
-12.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.09 €11.68
$13.66 ₡6,156
-4.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.37 €3.01
$2.32 ₡1,044
45.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.61 ₡728
31.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$4.74 ₡2,138
-46.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.45 €3.08
$1.66 ₡747
107.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$3.72 ₡1,679
-48.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 €1.43
$3.57 ₡1,611
-54.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 €0.88
$1.10 ₡497
-10.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.02
$2.55 ₡1,149
-55.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.74 €5.12
$4.95 ₡2,232
15.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.64 €6.82
$20.01 ₡9,020
-61.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$2.79 ₡1,256
-41.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 €2.51
$3.53 ₡1,589
-20.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 €2.37
$1.19 ₡537
123.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.82 €40.00
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-37.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.18 €5.51
$2.24 ₡1,011
175.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 €1.70
$1.55 ₡701
22.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.09 €39.35
$8.86 ₡3,993
397.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.57 ₡708
12.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.9K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
48.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K €29.3K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-5.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$209 €186
$93.5 ₡42.1K
123.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.22 €18.04
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-42.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.19 €29.62
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-35.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.3 €65.4
$71.4 ₡32.2K
2.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.86 €16.83
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-46.78%
Cinema Ticket
$11.38 €10.16
$7.84 ₡3,535
45.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$516 €461
$490 ₡220.7K
5.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,230 €8,237
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-22.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €90.6
$53.5 ₡24.1K
89.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.7 €49.71
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-0.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.6 €88.0
$79.3 ₡35.7K
24.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €103
$78.9 ₡35.6K
46.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$798 €712
$786 ₡354.3K
1.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$692 €618
$780 ₡351.6K
-11.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,710 €1,526
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-55.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,193
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-4.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,098 €2,765
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-55.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,297 €2,050
$1,201 ₡541.3K
91.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nicosia
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,901 €1,697
$876 ₡395.0K
116.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
8.62
-48.03%

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

Last update for Nicosia: 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
Nicosia
$692
Nosara
$780 12.7% $88
Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
$307
Nosara
$350 13.8% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
$262
Nosara
$180 31.4% $82
Eating Out
Nicosia
$252
Nosara
$209 16.8% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
$167
Nosara
$120 28% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
$96
Nosara
$87 9.3% $9
Getting Around
Nicosia
$71
Nosara
$87 22% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in Nicosia 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 117% higher in Nicosia, 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 $68.0 in Nicosia versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Nicosia vs $350 in Nosara – so Nicosia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇾 Nicosia
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
09:32 9:32 AM
00:32 12:32 AM
9 h behind Nicosia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
310,355 Capital
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
  • Nicosia Nosara 11,890 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nicosia
  • 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
Nicosia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nicosia and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,890 in Nicosia, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Nicosia compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,835 per month in Nicosia and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nicosia and 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nicosia and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $516 per month in Nicosia and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Nicosia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Nicosia at $1,890. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nicosia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nicosia and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $1,890 in Nicosia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nicosia or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nicosia and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nicosia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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