Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Alcala la Real

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcala la Real: $1,579 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Alcala la Real
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Alcala la Real Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Alcala la Real

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Alcala la Real

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 Alcala la Real actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,579 in Alcala la Real.

Nosara $1,839
Alcala la Real $1,579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,353 in Alcala la Real.

Nosara $2,828
Alcala la Real $2,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,128 in Alcala la Real.

Nosara $3,818
Alcala la Real $3,128

Living in Nosara is roughly 16% more expensive than in Alcala la Real, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Alcala la Real 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.37 €11.89

-7.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$68.1 €60.6

-10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.00 €8.00

-16.44%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.84 €1.64

139.67%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.12 €1.89

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.61 €1.43

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.97 €2.64

10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.47 €3.08

28.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.14 €1.01

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.68 €1.50

79.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.57 €1.40

59.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.21 €2.86

11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.48 €11.99

-44.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.29 €7.38

26.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.95 €14.19

-12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.38 €2.11

-1.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.98 €1.76

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.88 €1.67

155.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.61 €2.32

-38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.84 €1.64

106.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.08 €1.85

77.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.45 €1.29

-22.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.75 €0.67

254.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.68 €5.94

-22.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.94 €5.29

234.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.17 €1.04

147.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.97 €1.75

84.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.65 €1.47

-32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$32.65 €29.04

122.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.66 €1.48

28.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.06 €0.94

48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$14.75 €13.12

-42.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.82 €1.62

-16.48%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.7K €31.7K

-39.43%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.7K €25.6K

20.17%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$118 €105

-18.40%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.13 €14.35

122.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$32.94 €29.30

62.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$44.43 €39.52

61.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.82 €14.08

120.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.02 €7.14

-1.62%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$552 €491

-10.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,151 €7,251

45.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$89.9 €80.0

-40.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$38.88 €34.58

42.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$96.9 €86.2

-19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$112 €99.7

-29.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$891 €793

-11.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$693 €616

14.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,345 €1,196

192.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,008 €897

40.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,283 €2,921

110.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,174 €1,934

-43.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.34

158.08%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alcala la Real: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Alcala la Real

$693 43.9% 12.8% $102

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Alcala la Real

$268 17% 24% $85

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Alcala la Real

$193 12.2% 9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Alcala la Real

$167 10.6% 10.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Alcala la Real

$152 9.6% 26.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Alcala la Real

$60 3.8% 30.8% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Alcala la Real

$46 2.9% 47% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $891 in Alcala la Real. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $68.0 in Alcala la Real. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $268, with Alcala la Real cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇸 Alcala la Real

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

00:11 12:11 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

21,587

💱 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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Between locations

Nosara Alcala la Real 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Alcala la Real

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 Alcala la Real: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Alcala la Real differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $1,579 including rent). Alcala la Real is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,368 in Alcala la Real to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $891 in Alcala la Real. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alcala la Real runs roughly 122% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $552 in Alcala la Real. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,579 in Alcala la Real versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alcala la Real but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Alcala la Real the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Alcala la Real 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 Alcala la Real gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.