Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Busto Arsizio

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Busto Arsizio: $1,839 and $1,822 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Busto Arsizio
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Busto Arsizio Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Busto Arsizio

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Busto Arsizio

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,822 in Busto Arsizio.

Nosara $1,839
Busto Arsizio $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,823 in Busto Arsizio.

Nosara $2,828
Busto Arsizio $2,823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,824 in Busto Arsizio.

Nosara $3,818
Busto Arsizio $3,824

Living in Nosara is roughly 1% more expensive than in Busto Arsizio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Busto Arsizio 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$21.97 €19.54

-43.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$90.0 €80.0

-31.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.35 €10.10

-33.74%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.17 €1.93

103.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.39 €3.01

-48.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.40 €1.25

-6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.73 €5.99

-51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.15 €5.47

-27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.56 €1.39

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.45 €2.18

23.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.43 €3.05

-26.82%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.88 €4.34

-26.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$17.02 €15.14

-56.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.61 €12.11

-22.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$21.98 €19.55

-36.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.69 €2.40

-12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.82 €1.62

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.55 €2.27

88.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.44 €3.06

-53.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.69 €1.50

124.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.11 €1.87

74.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.12 €0.99

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.61 €0.55

336.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.73 €6.87

-32.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.11 €4.54

289.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.49 €1.32

94.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.61 €1.43

125.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.65 €1.47

-32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.67 €37.96

70.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.82 €3.40

-43.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.28 €2.03

-31.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$39.60 €35.22

-78.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.10 €1.87

-27.62%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.7K €32.6K

-41.08%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.7K €30.9K

-0.64%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$198 €176

-51.44%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.55 €10.27

210.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$26.99 €24.01

98.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$31.11 €27.67

130.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.29 €10.04

-30.12%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$873 €777

-43.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,047 €6,268

68.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$87.8 €78.1

-38.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$27.58 €24.53

100.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$107 €94.8

-26.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$135 €120

-40.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,258 €1,119

-37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$654 €581

21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,924 €1,712

104.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,075 €956

32.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,554 €2,272

170.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,591 €1,415

-23.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,176 €1,935

-60.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.65

136.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Busto Arsizio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Busto Arsizio

$654 35.9% 17.7% $141

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Busto Arsizio

$352 19.3% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Busto Arsizio

$301 16.5% 42% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Busto Arsizio

$237 13% 27.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Busto Arsizio

$160 8.8% 33.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Busto Arsizio

$54 3% 38.5% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Busto Arsizio

$65 3.5% 25.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,258 in Busto Arsizio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busto Arsizio pays 152% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $90.0 in Busto Arsizio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 Busto Arsizio

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

22:03 10:03 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

83,094

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Busto Arsizio 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Busto Arsizio

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 Busto Arsizio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Busto Arsizio differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $1,822 including rent). Busto Arsizio is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 152% lower in Busto Arsizio. 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 $1,258 in Busto Arsizio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Busto Arsizio – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,822 in Busto Arsizio – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,822 in Busto Arsizio versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Busto Arsizio but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.