Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aranjuez

For one person, living is cheaper in Aranjuez: $1,678 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Aranjuez
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,678
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aranjuez

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,678 in Aranjuez, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Aranjuez $1,678

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,362 in Aranjuez, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Aranjuez $2,362

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,045 in Aranjuez, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Aranjuez $3,045

Nosara costs about 10% more than Aranjuez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Aranjuez sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Aranjuez by 24%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$13.29 €11.83
-7.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$65.8 €58.6
-7.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$12.33 €10.97
-39.01%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$2.71 €2.41
62.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.59 €2.30
-32.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.99 €1.77
-34.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$3.37 €3.00
-2.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$4.49 €3.99
-0.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.20 €1.07
30.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.35 €1.20
123.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.78 €1.58
41.01%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$3.36 €2.99
6.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$10.94 €9.73
-32.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$7.71 €6.85
36.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$15.82 €14.07
-11.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.58 €2.29
-8.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.89 €1.69
-14.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$1.86 €1.65
158.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.57 €2.28
-37.35%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.68 €1.49
126.19%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.85 €1.64
99.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.08 €0.96
4.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.75 €0.67
254.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$6.73 €5.99
-23.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$5.70 €5.07
248.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.33 €1.19
118.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.71 €1.52
112.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.68 €1.50
-33.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$31.45 €27.97
130.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$4.57 €4.07
-53.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.34 €1.19
17.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$23.66 €21.04
-63.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.80 €1.60
-15.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$34.9K €31.0K
-38.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$28.8K €25.6K
19.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$133 €118
-27.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$15.98 €14.21
124.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$33.93 €30.18
57.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$43.88 €39.03
63.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$17.52 €15.59
99.26%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$10.81 €9.62
-27.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$588 €523
-15.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$9,742 €8,666
21.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$90.5 €80.5
-40.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$40.95 €36.43
35.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$94.9 €84.5
-17.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$117 €104
-31.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$824 €733
-4.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$753 €670
5.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,358 €1,208
190.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$883 €786
60.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$3,619 €3,219
90.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$2,423 €2,156
-49.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Aranjuez
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
3.41
152.79%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aranjuez: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Aranjuez
$753 5.2% $41
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Aranjuez
$253 28.2% $99
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Aranjuez
$220 3.8% $8.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Aranjuez
$183 1.7% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Aranjuez
$155 28.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Aranjuez
$66 25% $22
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Aranjuez
$49 43.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $824 in Aranjuez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $66.0 in Aranjuez. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $253 in Aranjuez – so Aranjuez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇪🇸 Aranjuez
🕒 Local time
08:55 8:55 AM
16:55 4:55 PM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
60,668
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Aranjuez 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Aranjuez

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 Aranjuez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aranjuez cheaper than Nosara?
Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,517 in Aranjuez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Aranjuez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 131% less in Aranjuez. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $588 in Aranjuez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Aranjuez?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Aranjuez, where all-in costs run around $1,678, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Aranjuez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nosara or Aranjuez more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Aranjuez – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Aranjuez?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Aranjuez. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Nosara vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?