Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bussum

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,557 in Bussum, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Bussum
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Bussum Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Bussum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bussum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,557 in Bussum.

Nosara $1,839
Bussum $2,557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,742 in Bussum.

Nosara $2,828
Bussum $3,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,927 in Bussum.

Nosara $3,818
Bussum $4,927

Living in Nosara costs roughly 28% less than in Bussum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Bussum 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$24.87 €22.12

-50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$84.2 €74.9

-27.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.63 €12.13

-44.83%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.90 €3.47

13.08%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.77 €3.36

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$3.11 €2.77

-57.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.43 €4.83

-39.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.48 €4.88

-18.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.17 €1.04

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.33 €1.18

127.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.43 €2.16

3.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.82 €4.29

-25.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.77 €11.36

-41.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$14.39 €12.80

-26.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.67 €14.83

-16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.91 €1.70

23.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.40 €2.13

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.81 €1.61

165.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.66 €2.36

-39.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.01 €1.78

89.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.56 €1.39

136.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.23 €1.09

-8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.75 €0.67

254.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$13.92 €12.38

-62.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.78 €6.03

193.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.50 €1.34

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.75 €1.56

107.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.50 €3.11

-68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$88.6 €78.8

-18.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.40 €3.91

-51.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.28 €2.91

-52.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$60.8 €54.1

-85.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.26 €2.01

-32.74%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$39.5K €35.2K

-45.35%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.0K €20.5K

49.92%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$282 €251

-65.82%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.44 €21.74

46.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$49.21 €43.77

8.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$59.0 €52.5

21.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$23.98 €21.33

45.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.68 €14.83

-52.70%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,374 €2,112

-79.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,848 €6,981

51.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.5 €52.0

-7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$43.85 €39.01

26.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.6 €80.6

-14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$140 €125

-43.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,639 €1,458

-51.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,177 €1,047

-32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,393 €2,129

64.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,886 €1,678

-24.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,963 €5,304

15.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$6,301 €5,605

-80.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,538 €4,037

-80.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.3

100.47%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bussum: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Bussum

$1.2K 46% 48.2% $383

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Bussum

$306 12% 13% $46

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Bussum

$352 13.8% 66.3% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Bussum

$355 13.9% 91.3% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Bussum

$150 5.9% 24.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bussum

$92 3.6% 5.7% $4.9

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Bussum

$123 4.8% 41.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,639 in Bussum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bussum pays 426% 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 $84.0 in Bussum. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $306, with Bussum cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇱 Bussum

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

07:53 7:53 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

33,220

💱 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

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Between locations

Nosara Bussum 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bussum

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 Bussum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Bussum differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,557 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 426% lower in Bussum. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,639 in Bussum. 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 $2,557 in Bussum – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 22% less than in Bussum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,557 in Bussum, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Bussum. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Bussum 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Bussum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.