Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Castrocaro Terme

For one person, living is cheaper in Castrocaro Terme: $1,638 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Castrocaro Terme
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,638
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Castrocaro Terme

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,638 in Castrocaro Terme.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Castrocaro Terme $1,638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,462 in Castrocaro Terme.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Castrocaro Terme $2,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,286 in Castrocaro Terme.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Castrocaro Terme $3,286

Living in Nosara is roughly 12% more expensive than in Castrocaro Terme, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Castrocaro Terme 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$18.34 €16.32
-32.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$63.0 €56.0
-2.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$12.63 €11.24
-40.46%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$1.93 €1.72
128.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.69 €2.39
-35.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.43 €1.27
-8.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$5.71 €5.08
-42.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$4.31 €3.84
3.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.44 €1.28
8.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$2.13 €1.90
41.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$2.52 €2.24
-0.40%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$4.13 €3.67
-13.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$15.51 €13.80
-52.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$12.01 €10.68
-12.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$18.56 €16.51
-24.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.72 €2.42
-13.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$2.43 €2.17
-33.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$2.33 €2.07
106.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.91 €2.59
-44.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$2.05 €1.83
85.37%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.50 €1.34
146.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.45 €1.29
-22.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.60 €0.54
343.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$6.91 €6.15
-25.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$7.27 €6.47
173.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.83 €1.63
58.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.11 €1.88
72.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.81 €1.61
-38.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$40.99 €36.46
77.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$6.18 €5.50
-65.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.74 €1.55
-9.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$34.32 €30.53
-75.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$2.11 €1.88
-27.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$41.4K €36.9K
-47.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$31.2K €27.7K
10.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$203 €181
-52.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$9.08 €8.08
295.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$25.65 €22.81
108.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$54.2 €48.17
32.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$25.13 €22.35
38.92%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$10.35 €9.21
-23.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$530 €472
-6.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$11.3K €10.0K
4.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$89.2 €79.4
-39.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$39.86 €35.46
39.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$92.2 €82.0
-15.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$138 €123
-42.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$826 €735
-4.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$512 €455
55.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$988 €879
298.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$760 €676
86.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$3,008 €2,675
129.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$2,316 €2,060
-47.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Castrocaro Terme
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
3.33
158.86%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Castrocaro Terme: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Castrocaro Terme
$512 35.6% $283
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Castrocaro Terme
$327 7.2% $26
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Castrocaro Terme
$261 23.4% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Castrocaro Terme
$238 28.2% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Castrocaro Terme
$162 34.7% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Castrocaro Terme
$75 14.3% $13
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Castrocaro Terme
$63 27.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $826 in Castrocaro Terme. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $63.0 in Castrocaro Terme. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $327, with Castrocaro Terme cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇹 Castrocaro Terme
🕒 Local time
07:41 7:41 AM
15:41 3:41 PM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
6,300
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Castrocaro Terme 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Castrocaro Terme

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 Castrocaro Terme: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Castrocaro Terme cheaper than Nosara?
Castrocaro Terme is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,456 in Castrocaro Terme to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Nosara and Castrocaro Terme?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $826 in Castrocaro Terme. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Nosara and in Castrocaro Terme?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Nosara or in Castrocaro Terme?
Dining out is cheaper in Castrocaro Terme – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Castrocaro Terme?
At $1,638 in Castrocaro Terme versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Castrocaro Terme but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Castrocaro Terme the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Nosara or Castrocaro Terme more family-friendly?
For families, Castrocaro Terme is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Castrocaro Terme?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Castrocaro Terme are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Castrocaro Terme gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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