Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Drogheda

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,029 in Drogheda, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Drogheda
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Drogheda Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Drogheda

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Drogheda

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,029 in Drogheda, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Drogheda $3,029

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,445 in Drogheda, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Drogheda $4,445

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,861 in Drogheda, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Drogheda $5,861

Nosara is about 39% cheaper than Drogheda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Drogheda sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Drogheda by 124%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$18.73 €16.66

-34.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$90.8 €80.8

-32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.59 €10.31

-35.12%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.14 €3.68

6.52%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.92 €2.60

-40.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.22 €1.97

-40.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.73 €5.99

-51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.68 €5.94

-33.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.69 €1.50

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.25 €2.00

34.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.07 €0.95

134.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.52 €4.02

-21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.14 €9.02

-26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.11 €11.66

-19.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.15 €14.37

-13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.96 €2.63

-20.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.92 €1.71

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.75 €1.55

174.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.76 €4.23

-66.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.75 €1.56

117.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.03 €0.92

258.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.07 €0.95

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.56 €1.39

70.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$20.24 €18.00

-74.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.45 €11.96

47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.38 €3.01

-14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.58 €3.18

1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.00 €2.67

-62.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$210 €186

-65.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.00 €4.45

-57.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.52 €1.35

3.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$32.62 €29.01

-73.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.12 €1.88

-28.30%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$39.2K €34.9K

-44.89%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$37.5K €33.4K

-7.96%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$243 €216

-60.42%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.08 €19.64

62.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$44.35 €39.44

20.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$75.6 €67.2

-5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$66.3 €58.9

-47.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.45 €11.96

-41.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,091 €970

-54.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,983 €1,764

498.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$93.7 €83.4

-42.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$42.24 €37.57

31.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$106 €94.7

-26.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$121 €108

-34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,823 €1,621

-56.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,573 €1,399

-49.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,212 €2,857

22.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,569 €2,285

-44.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,945 €3,509

75.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,866 €2,549

-57.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,463 €3,080

-75.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.14

108.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Drogheda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Drogheda

$1.6K 51.9% 98% $778

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Drogheda

$345 11.4% 2.2% $7.8

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Drogheda

$302 10% 42.5% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Drogheda

$310 10.2% 66.7% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Drogheda

$164 5.4% 36.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Drogheda

$102 3.4% 17.3% $15

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Drogheda

$234 7.7% 169% $147

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,823 in Drogheda. 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 301% higher in Drogheda, 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 $91.0 in Drogheda. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $345 in Drogheda – so Drogheda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇪 Drogheda

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

06:31 6:31 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

44,135

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 505 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Drogheda 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Drogheda

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 Drogheda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drogheda costs about 65% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,543 in Drogheda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $3,029 in Drogheda. That's a gap of about 65%.

Public transport costs about 188% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Drogheda at $3,029. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Drogheda it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,029 in Drogheda. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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