Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dornbirn

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,306 in Dornbirn, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Dornbirn
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,306
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dornbirn

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,306 in Dornbirn, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Dornbirn $2,306

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,431 in Dornbirn, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Dornbirn $3,431

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,556 in Dornbirn, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Dornbirn $4,556

Nosara is about 20% cheaper than Dornbirn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Dornbirn sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Dornbirn by 71%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$18.06 €16.07
-31.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$78.2 €69.6
-21.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$11.06 €9.84
-32.01%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$4.51 €4.01
-2.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$4.21 €3.74
-58.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$3.57 €3.17
-63.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$5.14 €4.58
-36.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$4.35 €3.87
2.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.66 €1.48
-6.02%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$3.03 €2.70
-0.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$2.18 €1.94
15.14%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$5.14 €4.57
-30.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$17.43 €15.50
-57.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$13.78 €12.26
-23.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$15.51 €13.79
-9.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.81 €2.50
-16.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$2.36 €2.10
-31.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$3.89 €3.46
23.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$3.94 €3.51
-59.14%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$2.19 €1.94
73.52%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$2.36 €2.10
56.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.93 €1.72
-41.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.02 €0.91
160.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$7.31 €6.50
-29.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$10.23 €9.10
94.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$1.49 €1.32
94.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.88 €1.67
93.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$3.44 €3.06
-67.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$55.6 €49.49
30.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$5.07 €4.51
-57.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$2.19 €1.95
-28.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.84 €1.63
-17.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$29.1K €25.9K
-25.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$27.9K €24.8K
23.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$306 €272
-68.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$14.36 €12.77
149.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$30.22 €26.88
77.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$54.0 €48.03
32.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$15.70 €13.97
-49.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$435 €387
13.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$32.9K €29.2K
-63.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$56.2 €49.95
-3.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$60.7 €54.0
-8.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$44.72 €39.78
74.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$44.23 €39.34
79.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,210 €1,076
-34.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$1,024 €911
-22.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,902 €1,692
107.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$1,780 €1,583
-20.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$8,841 €7,865
-21.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$7,270 €6,467
-83.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Dornbirn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$2,823 €2,511
-69.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
3.61
138.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dornbirn: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Dornbirn
$1K 28.9% $230
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Dornbirn
$370 5.1% $18
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Dornbirn
$297 40.4% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Dornbirn
$351 88.9% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Dornbirn
$93 22.9% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Dornbirn
$85 2.3% $2
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Dornbirn
$85 2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,210 in Dornbirn. 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 227% higher in Dornbirn, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $78.0 in Dornbirn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $370 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇦🇹 Dornbirn
🕒 Local time
22:11 10:11 PM
06:11 6:11 AM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
51,222
💱 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 Dornbirn 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Dornbirn

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 Dornbirn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Dornbirn?
Dornbirn costs about 25% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nosara and in Dornbirn?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,459 in Dornbirn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nosara or Dornbirn?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Nosara and in Dornbirn?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $78.0 in Dornbirn. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Nosara compared to Dornbirn?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $2,306 in Dornbirn. That's a gap of about 25%.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Nosara or in Dornbirn?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Dornbirn at $2,306. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dornbirn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Dornbirn?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,306 in Dornbirn. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Nosara compared to Dornbirn?
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.
Should I move to Nosara or to Dornbirn?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dornbirn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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