Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Benalmadena

Name: Benalmadena
Address: Benalmadena, ES

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Benalmadena: $1,839 and $1,832 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Benalmadena
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Benalmadena Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Benalmadena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Benalmadena

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,832 in Benalmadena, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Benalmadena $1,832

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,761 in Benalmadena, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Benalmadena $2,761

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,690 in Benalmadena, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Benalmadena $3,690

Nosara and Benalmadena have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.75 €13.12

-16.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$68.0 €60.5

-10.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.36 €8.33

-19.66%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.18 €1.94

102.29%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.10 €1.87

-17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.08 €1.85

-37.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.28 €2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.44 €3.95

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.18 €1.05

32.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.62 €1.44

86.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.80 €1.60

39.44%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.49 €3.10

2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.49 €13.78

-52.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.27 €7.36

27.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.01 €14.24

-12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.49 €2.22

-5.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.94 €1.73

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.77 €1.58

171.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.58 €2.29

-37.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.85 €1.64

105.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.10 €1.87

75.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.49 €1.33

-24.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.76 €0.68

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.68 €5.94

-22.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.65 €5.91

198.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.18 €1.05

145.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.91 €1.70

90.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.90 €1.69

-41.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$31.58 €28.09

130.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.84 €1.64

16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.22 €1.09

28.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$21.97 €19.54

-61.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.79 €1.59

-15.08%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.6K €30.8K

-37.58%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.5K €26.2K

16.98%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$140 €124

-31.03%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.81 €11.39

180.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$32.18 €28.63

66.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$48.00 €42.69

49.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.10 €14.32

116.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.91 €7.04

-0.25%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$557 €496

-11.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,462 €8,417

25.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$88.8 €79.0

-39.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$39.00 €34.69

42.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.5 €85.0

-18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$111 €98.8

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$972 €864

-18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$895 €796

-11.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,693 €1,506

132.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,486 €1,322

-4.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,159 €3,699

66.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,495 €3,109

-64.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,931 €3,497

-78.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.29

162.01%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Benalmadena: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Benalmadena

$895 48.9% 12.7% $101

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Benalmadena

$277 15.1% 21.4% $75

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Benalmadena

$214 11.7% 1.2% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Benalmadena

$185 10.1% 0.6% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Benalmadena

$150 8.2% 25.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Benalmadena

$64 3.5% 27% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Benalmadena

$47 2.6% 45.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $972 in Benalmadena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 355% higher in Benalmadena. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $68.0 in Benalmadena. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $277 in Benalmadena – so Benalmadena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇸 Benalmadena

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

05:37 5:37 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

75,801

💱 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 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Benalmadena 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Benalmadena

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 Benalmadena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,748 in Benalmadena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $68.0 in Benalmadena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 130% less in Benalmadena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Benalmadena, where all-in costs run around $1,832, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Benalmadena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Benalmadena – 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 Benalmadena. 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.