Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Enschede

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,364 in Enschede, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Enschede
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Enschede Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Enschede

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Enschede

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,364 in Enschede.

Nosara $1,839
Enschede $2,364

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,646 in Enschede.

Nosara $2,828
Enschede $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,928 in Enschede.

Nosara $3,818
Enschede $4,928

Living in Nosara costs roughly 22% less than in Enschede, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Enschede 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$21.27 €18.92

-41.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.9 €70.2

-22.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$15.43 €13.72

-51.26%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.18 €3.72

5.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.57 €3.17

-51.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.95 €2.62

-55.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.31 €5.61

-48.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.37 €5.67

-29.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.32 €1.17

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.41 €2.14

25.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.72 €2.42

-7.72%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.39 €3.90

-18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.85 €12.32

-46.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$14.23 €12.66

-26.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.06 €13.40

-7.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.75 €2.45

-14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.16 €1.93

-25.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.20 €1.96

118.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.92 €4.38

-67.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.95 €2.63

28.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.10 €1.87

75.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.24 €1.11

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.71 €0.63

274.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$14.10 €12.55

-63.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.87 €6.11

189.37%

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

$2.85 €2.53

27.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.98 €2.65

-62.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$110 €98.0

-34.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.59 €3.19

-40.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.64 €2.35

-40.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$27.66 €24.60

-69.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.49 €2.21

-38.96%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$40.9K €36.4K

-47.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.8K €35.4K

-13.17%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$259 €231

-62.87%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.39 €19.03

67.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$44.28 €39.39

21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.23 €29.56

115.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$23.80 €21.17

46.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$18.94 €16.84

-58.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,232 €1,096

-59.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,059 €7,168

47.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$94.0 €83.6

-42.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.43 €33.30

48.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$91.4 €81.3

-14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$100 €89.2

-20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,310 €1,165

-39.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,010 €898

-21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,479 €2,205

58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,941 €1,727

-26.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,543 €4,041

52.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,149 €2,801

-61.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,838 €2,524

-69.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.6

87.39%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Enschede: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Enschede

$1K 42.7% 27.1% $215

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Enschede

$337 14.3% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Enschede

$337 14.3% 59.1% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Enschede

$325 13.8% 75% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Enschede

$145 6.2% 21.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Enschede

$71 3% 18.6% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Enschede

$139 5.9% 59.5% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,310 in Enschede. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enschede pays 229% 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 $79.0 in Enschede. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $337, with Enschede cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇱 Enschede

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

07:37 7:37 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

161,235

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Enschede 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Enschede

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 Enschede: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Enschede differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,364 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 229% lower in Enschede. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,310 in Enschede. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,364 in Enschede – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 52% less than in Enschede. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,364 in Enschede, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Enschede. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara 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 Enschede 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Enschede. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.