Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and the Azores

For one person, living is cheaper in the Azores: $1,594 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in the Azores
Learn more

Azores Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Azores

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in the Azores

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,594 in the Azores, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Azores $1,594

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,371 in the Azores, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Azores $2,371

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,148 in the Azores, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Azores $3,148

Nosara costs about 15% more than the Azores, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Azores sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Azores by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.37 €10.15

7.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$47.10 €42.03

27.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.20 €8.21

-18.04%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.16 €1.93

99.54%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.92 €1.71

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.37 €1.22

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.26 €2.02

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.46 €3.09

29.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.06 €0.94

48.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.59 €1.42

99.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.61 €1.44

50.31%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.12 €2.79

14.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.26 €10.05

-34.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$7.89 €7.04

32.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.31 €12.77

-4.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.35 €2.10

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.42 €1.26

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.85 €1.65

156.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.48 €2.21

-33.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.53 €1.36

143.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.83 €1.64

95.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.63 €1.45

-32.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.79 €0.71

222.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.21 €5.55

-20.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.10 €4.55

292.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.24 €1.11

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.37 €2.12

48.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.28 €2.04

-47.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$41.69 €37.20

72.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$4.09 €3.65

-45.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.82 €0.73

89.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$17.02 €15.19

-47.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.99 €1.77

-21.11%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$34.5K €30.8K

-36.88%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$40.1K €35.7K

-13.53%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$135 €120

-30.55%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$21.16 €18.89

65.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$42.52 €37.94

21.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$44.82 €40.00

59.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.33 €15.46

104.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.36 €7.46

-6.22%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$462 €412

6.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,431 €7,524

40.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$73.2 €65.3

-26.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$38.09 €33.99

46.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$92.0 €82.1

-13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$93.7 €83.6

-15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$918 €819

-14.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$744 €664

4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,498 €1,337

157.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,143 €1,020

23.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,018 €2,693

130.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,307 €2,059

-47.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.01

72.06%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for the Azores: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Azores

$744 46% 4.6% $36

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Azores

$247 15.3% 29.3% $102

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Azores

$176 10.9% 16% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Azores

$198 12.2% 10.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Azores

$134 8.3% 11% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Azores

$62 3.8% 29.3% $26

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Azores

$59 3.6% 32.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $918 in the Azores. 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $47.00 in the Azores. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $247 – making Azores the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Azores

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

12:34 12:34 PM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

236,657

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Azores 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Azores

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 Azores: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,391 in the Azores. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $47.00 in the Azores. 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 the Azores, where all-in costs run around $1,594, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Azores it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward the Azores – 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 the Azores. 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.