Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dabas

For one person, living is cheaper in Dabas: $1,292 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Dabas
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Dabas Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Dabas

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dabas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,292 in Dabas.

Nosara $1,839
Dabas $1,292

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,972 in Dabas.

Nosara $2,828
Dabas $1,972

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,653 in Dabas.

Nosara $3,818
Dabas $2,653

Living in Nosara is roughly 42% more expensive than in Dabas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Dabas is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.57 Ft 3,737

6.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$36.39 Ft 11.8K

68.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.16 Ft 2,958

-17.90%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.50 Ft 485

194.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.35 Ft 437

28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.48 Ft 155

172.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.69 Ft 547

94.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.55 Ft 499

188.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.23 Ft 398

26.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.57 Ft 506

92.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.42 Ft 781

3.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.18 Ft 1,028

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.27 Ft 3,318

-27.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.88 Ft 2,224

52.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.14 Ft 5,216

-13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.43 Ft 784

-3.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.31 Ft 745

-30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.64 Ft 852

81.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.85 Ft 1,244

-58.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.09 Ft 353

248.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.42 Ft 459

159.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.86 Ft 600

-39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.58 Ft 188

358.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.70 Ft 2,489

-32.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.53 Ft 1,464

338.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.37 Ft 443

111.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.59 Ft 837

40.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.26 Ft 406

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$27.69 Ft 8,947

162.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.46 Ft 1,118

-38.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.38 Ft 447

13.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$24.17 Ft 7,809

-64.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.57 Ft 508

-3.18%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.0K Ft 10.0M

-30.28%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$36.3K Ft 11.7M

-4.84%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$166 Ft 53.7K

-42.02%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$20.87 Ft 6,742

71.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$20.72 Ft 6,693

158.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$49.15 Ft 15.9K

45.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$18.00 Ft 5,814

93.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.86 Ft 2,862

-10.95%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$436 Ft 140.8K

13.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,678 Ft 2.5M

54.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$100.0 Ft 32.3K

-46.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$51.1 Ft 16.5K

8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.2 Ft 30.7K

-18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$112 Ft 36.3K

-29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$512 Ft 165.3K

53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$395 Ft 127.5K

101.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$860 Ft 277.8K

358.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$702 Ft 226.7K

102.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,623 Ft 847.3K

163.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,942 Ft 950.4K

-58.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dabas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Dabas

$395 30.5% 50.3% $400

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Dabas

$261 20.2% 25.8% $91

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Dabas

$157 12.2% 25.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Dabas

$208 16.1% 11.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Dabas

$161 12.5% 34.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dabas

$67 5.2% 23.5% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Dabas

$43 3.3% 50.5% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $512 in Dabas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $36.00 in Dabas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $261 per month, with Dabas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇭🇺 Dabas

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

21:37 9:37 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

17,542

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Dabas 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dabas

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 Dabas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dabas wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dabas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $1,938 in Dabas 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $512 in Dabas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dabas runs roughly 162% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $436 in Dabas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,292 in Dabas versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dabas but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dabas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dabas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,292 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dabas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Dabas 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 Dabas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.