Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cantù

For one person, living is cheaper in Cantù: $1,674 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Cantù
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,674
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cantù

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,674 in Cantù.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Cantù $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,639 in Cantù.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Cantù $2,639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,605 in Cantù.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Cantù $3,605

Living in Nosara is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cantù, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Cantù 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$22.36 €19.89
-44.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$89.6 €79.7
-31.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$10.96 €9.75
-31.39%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$1.78 €1.58
147.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.90 €2.58
-40.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.63 €1.45
-19.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$5.74 €5.10
-42.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$6.16 €5.48
-27.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.37 €1.22
13.87%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$2.28 €2.03
32.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$3.40 €3.02
-26.18%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$4.18 €3.72
-14.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$14.92 €13.27
-50.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$12.81 €11.39
-17.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$17.69 €15.74
-21.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.81 €2.50
-16.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.60 €1.42
0.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$3.08 €2.74
55.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.26 €2.01
-28.76%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.85 €1.64
105.41%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.76 €1.56
109.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.70 €1.51
-33.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.61 €0.54
336.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$6.62 €5.89
-21.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$5.68 €5.05
250.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$0.93 €0.82
211.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.67 €1.49
117.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.61 €1.43
-30.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$39.33 €34.98
84.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$5.45 €4.85
-60.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$2.22 €1.97
-29.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$38.55 €34.29
-77.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$2.04 €1.82
-25.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$36.4K €32.3K
-40.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$34.3K €30.5K
0.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$192 €171
-49.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$12.91 €11.49
178.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$27.52 €24.48
94.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$53.5 €47.59
33.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$23.72 €21.10
47.18%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$11.24 €10.00
-29.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$721 €641
-31.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$7,148 €6,358
65.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$87.9 €78.2
-38.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$44.32 €39.42
25.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$108 €95.7
-27.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$128 €114
-38.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$771 €686
2.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$527 €469
50.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,137 €1,012
246.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$884 €787
60.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$3,313 €2,947
108.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$2,168 €1,929
-43.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Cantù
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$2,815 €2,504
-69.32%
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 Cantù: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Cantù
$527 33.7% $268
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Cantù
$318 9.6% $34
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Cantù
$292 38% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Cantù
$232 25% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Cantù
$166 38% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Cantù
$76 13% $11
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Cantù
$62 28.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $771 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 226% 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 Cantù. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $318, with Cantù cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇹 Cantù
🕒 Local time
07:59 7:59 AM
15:59 3:59 PM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
35,153
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Cantù 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Cantù

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 Cantù: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nosara and in Cantù?
Nosara and Cantù differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $1,674 including rent). Cantù is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 226% lower in Cantù. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Nosara and in Cantù?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $771 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Cantù?
Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $721 in Cantù. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,674 in Cantù versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cantù but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cantù the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Cantù?
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.
Is Nosara or Cantù safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Cantù are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Nosara or Cantù?
Expats usually find Cantù gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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