Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $859 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Alexandria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $859 in Alexandria.

Nosara $1,839
Alexandria $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,320 in Alexandria.

Nosara $2,828
Alexandria $1,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,781 in Alexandria.

Nosara $3,818
Alexandria $1,781

Living in Nosara is roughly 114% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Alexandria is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.30 RON 39.26

48.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$30.10 RON 142

103.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.24 RON 34.24

3.87%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.62 RON 7.68

172.22%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.76 RON 8.34

-1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.49 RON 7.03

-12.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.11 RON 9.99

55.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.46 RON 11.66

81.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.39 RON 6.56

12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.80 RON 3.78

277.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.10 RON 5.21

128.18%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.16 RON 10.23

65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.98 RON 23.57

49.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.30 RON 20.35

144.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.67 RON 36.31

82.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.88 RON 4.16

167.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.18 RON 5.57

36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.98 RON 4.61

389.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.98 RON 4.62

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.70 RON 3.33

442.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.61 RON 2.87

504.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.72 RON 3.40

56.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.86 RON 4.06

209.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.43 RON 25.69

-4.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.15 RON 24.38

286.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.92 RON 4.34

215.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.08 RON 5.10

236.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.60 RON 2.86

86.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.28 RON 200

71.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.44 RON 2.07

386.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.40 RON 1.91

292.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.49 RON 25.97

55.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.72 RON 8.14

-11.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$16.1K RON 76.2K

34.19%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.1K RON 109.4K

49.30%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$115 RON 545

-16.41%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.18 RON 24.53

592.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$7.60 RON 35.96

605.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$58.6 RON 277

22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$24.59 RON 116

41.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.36 RON 30.10

24.06%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$308 RON 1,459

60.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,663 RON 31.5K

77.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$51.7 RON 245

4.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.37 RON 106

147.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$63.2 RON 299

23.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$64.0 RON 303

24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$319 RON 1,511

146.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$238 RON 1,127

233.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$577 RON 2,731

582.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$419 RON 1,981

238.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,235 RON 5,842

459.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$778 RON 3,679

57.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$844 RON 3,995

2.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.73

28.08%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Alexandria

$238 27.7% 70% $556

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Alexandria

$148 17.2% 57.9% $204

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Alexandria

$136 15.8% 35.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Alexandria

$128 14.9% 31.1% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Alexandria

$91 10.5% 24.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Alexandria

$71 8.3% 18.4% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Alexandria

$47 5.5% 45.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $319 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 2% 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 $30.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $148 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

02:55 2:55 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

45,434

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Alexandria 10,860 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Alexandria

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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 114% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $319 in Alexandria. 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 $859 in Alexandria – a 114% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 72% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Alexandria versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.