Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Alcabideche

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcabideche: $1,607 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Alcabideche
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Alcabideche Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Alcabideche

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Alcabideche

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 Alcabideche actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,607 in Alcabideche.

Nosara $1,839
Alcabideche $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,379 in Alcabideche.

Nosara $2,828
Alcabideche $2,379

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,152 in Alcabideche.

Nosara $3,818
Alcabideche $3,152

Living in Nosara is roughly 14% more expensive than in Alcabideche, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Alcabideche 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.30 €10.94

0.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$54.9 €48.87

11.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.18 €8.16

-18.08%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.46 €2.19

79.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.49 €1.33

16.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.18 €1.05

11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.77 €2.47

18.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.41 €3.03

31.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.08 €0.96

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.26 €1.12

139.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.58 €1.41

58.86%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.47 €3.09

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.00 €8.00

-17.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.52 €6.69

39.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.91 €13.26

-6.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.99 €2.66

-21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.25 €1.11

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.77 €1.58

171.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.28 €2.03

-29.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.96 €1.74

93.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.69 €1.50

118.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.55 €1.38

-27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.63 €0.56

322.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.85 €5.20

-11.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$3.38 €3.01

488.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.92 €0.82

215.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.39 €2.12

51.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.40 €2.13

-53.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$39.26 €34.92

85.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.72 €3.31

-42.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.77 €0.68

103.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$16.97 €15.09

-49.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.09 €1.86

-27.27%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.0K €29.3K

-34.49%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$38.2K €34.0K

-9.60%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$97.8 €87.0

-1.49%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$20.89 €18.59

71.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$34.34 €30.55

56.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$40.18 €35.74

78.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.90 €14.14

119.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.70 €6.85

2.47%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$586 €521

-15.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.1K €9,831

7.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$112 €99.4

-51.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.30 €29.62

66.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$83.4 €74.2

-6.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$105 €93.5

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$956 €850

-17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$772 €687

2.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,513 €1,346

160.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,188 €1,057

19.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,032 €2,697

127.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,221 €1,975

-44.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,069 €951

-19.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.54

143.50%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alcabideche: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Alcabideche

$772 48% 2.8% $22

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Alcabideche

$233 14.5% 33.9% $119

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Alcabideche

$187 11.6% 11.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Alcabideche

$153 9.5% 17.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Alcabideche

$150 9.3% 25% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Alcabideche

$56 3.5% 36.4% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Alcabideche

$56 3.5% 35.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $956 in Alcabideche. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alcabideche pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $55.0 in Alcabideche for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $233 per month, with Alcabideche cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Alcabideche

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

06:21 6:21 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

44,177

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Alcabideche 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Alcabideche

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 Alcabideche: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcabideche wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alcabideche the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Alcabideche. 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 $956 in Alcabideche. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,607 in Alcabideche – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alcabideche runs roughly 85% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,607 in Alcabideche versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alcabideche but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Alcabideche the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alcabideche delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,607 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alcabideche hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Alcabideche 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 Alcabideche gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.