Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Calella

For one person, living is cheaper in Calella: $1,596 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Calella
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Calella Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Calella

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Calella

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,596 in Calella, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Calella $1,596

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,366 in Calella, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Calella $2,366

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,137 in Calella, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Calella $3,137

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

Both Nosara and Calella sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Calella by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,584

$14.73 €13.13

-16.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.7K

$56.4 €50.3

8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,512

$8.03 €7.15

-3.36%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,009

$2.49 €2.22

78.31%

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

$1.79 ₡810

$2.33 €2.08

-23.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡585

$1.79 €1.59

-27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,464

$3.46 €3.08

-6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡2,003

$3.31 €2.95

33.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡702

$1.11 €0.99

39.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,392

$2.09 €1.86

47.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,143

$2.88 €2.57

-12.15%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,560

$3.03 €2.70

13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,313

$14.61 €13.03

-49.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,635

$8.31 €7.41

23.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,382

$15.33 €13.66

-8.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,036

$2.48 €2.21

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡744

$1.97 €1.76

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,168

$1.58 €1.41

203.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡742

$2.42 €2.15

-32.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,743

$1.79 €1.60

115.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,696

$1.86 €1.65

101.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$1.38 €1.23

-21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,170

$0.62 €0.55

317.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,315

$6.96 €6.21

-26.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡9,010

$5.56 €4.96

258.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,266

$1.07 €0.95

161.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,594

$2.43 €2.17

44.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡554

$1.46 €1.30

-16.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.4K

$31.71 €28.26

133.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡982

$3.77 €3.36

-42.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡704

$1.24 €1.11

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,921

$14.51 €12.93

-40.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡703

$1.83 €1.63

-15.30%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$39.4K €35.1K

-12.32%

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

$38.7K ₡17.5M

$31.0K €27.6K

24.91%

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

$94.8 ₡42.9K

$117 €104

-18.90%

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

$36.15 ₡16.4K

$13.52 €12.05

167.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡24.0K

$25.05 €22.32

111.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.4K

$46.23 €41.20

59.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.1K

$17.63 €15.71

102.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,579

$8.35 €7.44

-5.27%

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

$490 ₡221.8K

$560 €499

-12.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$9,945 €8,864

19.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.8K

$62.6 €55.8

-12.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.3K

$21.12 €18.82

164.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.4K

$114 €101

-29.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.2K

$160 €143

-51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡362.3K

$904 €805

-11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡357.2K

$684 €610

15.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,356 €1,208

195.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡637.6K

$1,011 €901

39.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,081 €2,746

129.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡559.2K

$1,932 €1,722

-36.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡401.1K

$1,725 €1,537

-48.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.3

161.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Calella: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Calella

$684 42.9% 13.4% $106

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Calella

$273 17.1% 21.9% $77

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Calella

$212 13.3% 0.2% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Calella

$155 9.7% 15.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Calella

$161 10.1% 33% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Calella

$63 3.9% 29.8% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Calella

$48 3% 46.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $904 in Calella. 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 95% higher in Calella, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $56 in Calella. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $273 – making Calella the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇸 Calella

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

11:24 11:24 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,862

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Calella 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Calella

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 Calella: 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 $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,394 in Calella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $801 there versus $904 in Calella.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Calella. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $560 in Calella. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,835 in Nosara and $1,596 in Calella. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,596 in Calella to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.