Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aarschot

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,043 in Aarschot, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Aarschot
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Aarschot Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Aarschot

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aarschot

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Aarschot actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,043 in Aarschot.

Nosara $1,839
Aarschot $2,043

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,981 in Aarschot.

Nosara $2,828
Aarschot $2,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,919 in Aarschot.

Nosara $3,818
Aarschot $3,919

Living in Nosara costs roughly 10% less than in Aarschot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Aarschot 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.81 €15.84

-30.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$77.2 €68.6

-20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.96 €9.75

-31.39%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.68 €3.27

19.84%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.97 €2.65

-41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.62 €2.33

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.18 €4.61

-36.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.42 €3.93

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.24 €1.10

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.80 €2.49

7.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.02 €1.79

24.26%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.73 €3.32

-4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.33 €10.08

-34.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$11.70 €10.41

-10.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.96 €13.31

-6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.70 €2.41

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.23 €1.98

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.16 €1.92

122.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.20 €1.95

-26.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.20 €1.96

72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.75 €1.56

110.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.50 €1.34

-24.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.90 €0.80

195.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.28 €8.26

-44.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.24 €6.44

174.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.03 €1.80

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.77 €1.58

105.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.13 €2.79

-64.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$133 €118

-45.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.98 €4.43

-57.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.49 €2.21

-36.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$16.79 €14.93

-49.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.97 €1.75

-22.84%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.9K €31.9K

-39.83%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.1K €30.3K

1.28%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$210 €186

-54.04%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.26 €16.24

96.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$53.8 €47.82

-0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$36.30 €32.29

97.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.78 €15.81

96.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$14.46 €12.86

-45.44%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$701 €624

-29.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$15.9K €14.1K

-25.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$86.4 €76.9

-37.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$25.84 €22.98

114.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$88.0 €78.3

-11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$131 €116

-39.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$920 €818

-14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$806 €717

-1.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,371 €1,219

187.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,158 €1,030

22.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,530 €3,140

95.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,807 €2,497

-56.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,157 €2,808

-72.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.52

144.89%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Aarschot

$806 39.4% 1.4% $11

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Aarschot

$302 14.8% 14.2% $50

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Aarschot

$277 13.5% 30.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Aarschot

$282 13.8% 51.5% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Aarschot

$149 7.3% 24% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aarschot

$65 3.2% 25.4% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Aarschot

$163 8% 86.9% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $920 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aarschot pays 266% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $77.0 in Aarschot. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $302, with Aarschot cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇪 Aarschot

🕒 Local time

15:26 3:26 PM

23:26 11:26 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

27,656

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Aarschot 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aarschot

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

Nosara vs Aarschot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 266% lower in Aarschot. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $920 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Aarschot pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $77.0 in Aarschot. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,043 in Aarschot, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Aarschot. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aarschot, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Aarschot 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Aarschot. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.