Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cortona

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Cortona: $1,839 and $1,782 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Cortona
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Cortona Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cortona

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cortona

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,782 in Cortona, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Cortona $1,782

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,699 in Cortona, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Cortona $2,699

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,616 in Cortona, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Cortona $3,616

Nosara costs about 3% more than Cortona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Cortona sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Cortona by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.97 €17.76

-38.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$80.3 €71.4

-23.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.47 €10.21

-34.44%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.99 €1.77

121.61%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.37 €3.00

-48.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.41 €1.26

-7.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.61 €5.88

-50.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.37 €3.89

2.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.70 €1.51

-8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.20 €1.96

37.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.11 €2.77

-19.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.20 €4.62

-31.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$27.98 €24.89

-73.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$16.13 €14.34

-34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$24.34 €21.65

-42.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.97 €2.64

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.16 €1.92

-25.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.29 €2.93

45.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.25 €2.89

-50.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.12 €2.78

21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.17 €1.93

70.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.88 €1.68

-39.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.83 €0.74

220.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.66 €6.81

-32.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.55 €7.61

132.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.59 €2.30

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.07 €3.62

-10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.55 €4.94

-61.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.21 €1.97

-28.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.50 €10.23

-25.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.09 €1.86

-27.27%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.5K €32.4K

-40.73%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.3K €31.4K

-2.22%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$339 €301

-71.57%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.19 €10.84

194.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$42.74 €38.02

25.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$28.43 €25.29

151.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$11.22 €9.98

211.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.78 €9.59

-26.81%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$634 €564

-22.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,834 €7,858

34.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$99.7 €88.7

-45.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$75.8 €67.4

-26.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$87.6 €78.0

-11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$194 €172

-58.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$839 €746

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$401 €357

97.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,487 €1,323

164.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$613 €546

131.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,234 €1,987

209.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,788 €2,480

-56.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,170 €2,820

-72.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.7

132.97%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cortona: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cortona

$401 22.5% 49.5% $393

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cortona

$436 24.5% 23.9% $84

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cortona

$279 15.7% 31.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cortona

$394 22.1% 112% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cortona

$206 11.5% 71.2% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cortona

$50 2.8% 42.8% $37

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cortona

$17 * 0.9% 80.9% $71

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $839 in Cortona. 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 267% higher in Cortona, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $80.0 in Cortona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $436 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 Cortona

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

03:58 3:58 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

22,450

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cortona 9,860 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cortona

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 Cortona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,782 in Cortona – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,674 in Cortona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cortona, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,782 in Cortona. That's a gap of about 3%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $634 in Cortona. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cortona, where all-in costs run around $1,782, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Cortona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,782 in Cortona to $1,839 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.

If budget matters most, go with Cortona. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.