Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Argostoli

For one person, living is cheaper in Argostoli: $1,358 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Argostoli
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Argostoli Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Argostoli

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Argostoli

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,358 in Argostoli, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Argostoli $1,358

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,073 in Argostoli, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Argostoli $2,073

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,789 in Argostoli, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Argostoli $2,789

Nosara costs about 35% more than Argostoli, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Argostoli sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Argostoli by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$11.28 €10.06

9.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$58.1 €51.8

5.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$9.18 €8.18

-18.08%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$4.29 €3.82

2.80%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$2.34 €2.09

-25.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.54 €0.48

142.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$4.53 €4.04

-27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$4.47 €3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.55 €1.38

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$1.42 €1.27

112.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.41 €2.15

4.15%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$5.14 €4.58

-30.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$11.30 €10.07

-34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$9.76 €8.70

7.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$14.28 €12.73

-2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.29 €2.04

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$2.21 €1.97

-27.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.76 €1.57

172.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.97 €1.75

-18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.11 €0.99

242.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.26 €1.12

192.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.89 €0.80

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.83 €0.74

220.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$5.25 €4.68

-1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$6.86 €6.12

189.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.65 €1.47

75.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$3.42 €3.05

6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.40 €1.25

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$43.58 €38.86

66.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$4.42 €3.94

-51.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.09 €0.97

44.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$13.82 €12.32

-38.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$2.21 €1.97

-31.22%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.7K €24.7K

-22.10%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.7K €21.1K

45.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$161 €143

-40.05%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.63 €21.96

45.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$28.27 €25.21

89.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$51.2 €45.62

39.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$25.18 €22.45

38.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$9.09 €8.10

-13.20%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$476 €424

3.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,442 €3,961

166.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$69.1 €61.6

-21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$35.94 €32.05

54.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$74.8 €66.7

4.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$109 €97.3

-27.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$477 €425

65.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$398 €355

99.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$733 €654

437.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$613 €546

131.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,612 €2,329

164.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$2,176 €1,940

-43.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.36

97.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Argostoli: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Argostoli

$398 29.3% 49.9% $396

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Argostoli

$275 20.3% 21.9% $77

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Argostoli

$212 15.6% 0.3% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Argostoli

$214 15.7% 15% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Argostoli

$130 9.6% 8.3% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Argostoli

$69 5.1% 20.6% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Argostoli

$59 4.4% 32.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $477 in Argostoli. 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 $58.0 in Argostoli. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $275 – making Argostoli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇷 Argostoli

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

15:54 3:54 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Argostoli 10,700 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Argostoli

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 Argostoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,037 in Argostoli. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Argostoli, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $58.0 in Argostoli. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Argostoli, where all-in costs run around $1,358, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Argostoli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Argostoli – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Argostoli. 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.