Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Haarlem

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,171 in Haarlem, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Haarlem
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Haarlem Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Haarlem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Haarlem

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,171 in Haarlem, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Haarlem $3,171

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $4,482 in Haarlem, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Haarlem $4,482

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $5,792 in Haarlem, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Haarlem $5,792

Nosara is about 42% cheaper than Haarlem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Haarlem sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Haarlem by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$28.72 €25.63

-57.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$99.5 €88.8

-39.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$13.62 €12.15

-44.64%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.31 €3.85

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

$1.72 ₡773

$4.05 €3.61

-57.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$3.28 €2.93

-58.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$8.07 €7.20

-59.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.77 €5.15

-22.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.47 €1.31

6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.76 €2.47

14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.63 €2.35

-7.98%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.92 €4.39

-27.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$13.60 €12.14

-45.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$13.01 €11.61

-19.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$21.70 €19.37

-37.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.89 €2.58

-19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.53 €2.25

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.83 €1.63

159.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.15 €4.59

-67.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.83 €1.64

103.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.23 €1.99

60.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.23 €1.10

-10.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.00 €0.89

155.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$13.77 €12.29

-64.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.77 €6.93

157.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.56 €1.39

78.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.48 €2.21

42.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.89 €2.57

-58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$80.8 €72.1

-10.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$6.47 €5.78

-65.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.54 €2.27

-38.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$26.21 €23.39

-66.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.46 €2.19

-36.18%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$40.9K €36.5K

-46.71%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$39.4K €35.1K

-11.98%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$251 €224

-62.84%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$23.91 €21.34

46.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$59.8 €53.3

-13.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$57.4 €51.2

24.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$28.49 €25.42

24.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$16.36 €14.60

-52.08%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$2,638 €2,354

-81.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,600 €5,890

80.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$85.0 €75.9

-37.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$62.2 €55.5

-10.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$97.1 €86.7

-18.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$147 €131

-46.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,980 €1,767

-60.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,675 €1,495

-53.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,884 €2,573

33.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,356 €2,103

-40.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$7,735 €6,902

-9.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$5,735 €5,118

-79.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$4,202 €3,749

-79.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.8

126.84%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Haarlem: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Haarlem

$1.7K 53.1% 115% $895

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Haarlem

$361 11.5% 3.4% $12

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Haarlem

$404 12.8% 92.7% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Haarlem

$335 10.6% 86.1% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Haarlem

$176 5.6% 46.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Haarlem

$90 2.9% 3.4% $3

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Haarlem

$112 3.5% 28.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,980 in Haarlem. 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 379% higher in Haarlem, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $99.0 in Haarlem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $361 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇱 Haarlem

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

04:23 4:23 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

165,396

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Haarlem 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Haarlem

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 Haarlem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 73% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $4,757 in Haarlem. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $99.0 in Haarlem. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $3,171 in Haarlem. That's a gap of about 73%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Haarlem at $3,171. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haarlem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $3,171 in Haarlem. 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, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.