Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Edessa

For one person, living is cheaper in Edessa: $1,457 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Edessa
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Edessa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Edessa

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Edessa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,457 in Edessa.

Nosara $1,835
Edessa $1,457

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $2,146 in Edessa.

Nosara $2,825
Edessa $2,146

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $2,834 in Edessa.

Nosara $3,814
Edessa $2,834

Living in Nosara is roughly 26% more expensive than in Edessa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Edessa 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,584

$17.04 €15.20

-27.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.7K

$53.5 €47.73

14.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,512

$9.95 €8.88

-22.01%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,009

$3.33 €2.98

33.33%

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

$1.79 ₡810

$1.87 €1.67

-4.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡585

$0.54 €0.48

138.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,464

$3.87 €3.45

-16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡2,003

$4.47 €3.99

-0.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡702

$1.58 €1.41

-1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,392

$1.24 €1.11

148.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,143

$1.91 €1.71

32.46%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,560

$4.46 €3.98

-22.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,313

$13.81 €12.32

-46.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,635

$8.35 €7.45

22.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,382

$12.95 €11.56

8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,036

$2.14 €1.91

7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡744

$1.99 €1.77

-17.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,168

$1.75 €1.56

173.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡742

$2.27 €2.03

-27.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,743

$1.17 €1.04

229.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,696

$1.21 €1.08

209.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$0.93 €0.83

17.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,170

$0.80 €0.72

223.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,315

$5.66 €5.05

-9.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡9,010

$7.45 €6.65

167.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,266

$1.71 €1.53

63.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,594

$2.64 €2.36

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡554

$1.36 €1.21

-10.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.4K

$44.83 €40.01

64.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡982

$4.22 €3.77

-48.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡704

$1.09 €0.98

43.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,921

$17.00 €15.17

-49.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡703

$2.21 €1.97

-29.86%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$27.5K €24.6K

25.47%

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

$38.7K ₡17.5M

$29.1K €26.0K

33.20%

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

$94.8 ₡42.9K

$260 €232

-63.49%

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

$36.15 ₡16.4K

$26.26 €23.44

37.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡24.0K

$35.31 €31.51

50.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.4K

$48.90 €43.64

50.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.1K

$27.83 €24.84

28.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,579

$8.73 €7.79

-9.39%

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

$490 ₡221.8K

$435 €388

12.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,317 €7,423

42.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.8K

$90.7 €81.0

-39.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.3K

$40.55 €36.19

37.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.4K

$91.5 €81.7

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.2K

$123 €109

-36.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡362.3K

$349 €312

129.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡357.2K

$346 €308

128.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$603 €538

564.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡637.6K

$468 €418

201.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,358 €1,212

420.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡559.2K

$2,006 €1,790

-38.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡401.1K

$778 €694

13.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.47

92.84%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Edessa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Edessa

$346 23.7% 56.2% $444

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Edessa

$265 18.2% 24.3% $85

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Edessa

$244 16.8% 14.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Edessa

$321 22% 74.6% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Edessa

$155 10.7% 28.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Edessa

$66 4.6% 26% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Edessa

$60 4.1% 32.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $349 in Edessa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $53.0 in Edessa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $265 per month, with Edessa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇷 Edessa

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

14:42 2:42 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

18,253

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Edessa 10,730 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Edessa

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 Edessa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Edessa differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $1,457 including rent). Edessa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $349 in Edessa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Edessa runs roughly 65% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $435 in Edessa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,457 in Edessa versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Edessa but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Edessa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Edessa 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 Edessa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.