Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Hilversum

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,920 in Hilversum, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
142

Cost of Living Index in Hilversum
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Hilversum Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Hilversum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Hilversum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,920 in Hilversum.

Nosara $1,839
Hilversum $2,920

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $4,236 in Hilversum.

Nosara $2,828
Hilversum $4,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,553 in Hilversum.

Nosara $3,818
Hilversum $5,553

Living in Nosara costs roughly 37% less than in Hilversum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Hilversum 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$27.73 €24.67

-55.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$79.5 €70.7

-23.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$16.70 €14.85

-54.97%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.30 €3.82

2.56%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.92 €3.49

-55.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.98 €2.65

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.53 €4.92

-40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.53 €4.92

-19.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.81 €1.61

-13.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.37 €2.11

27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.47 €3.09

-27.67%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.27 €4.69

-32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.30 €12.72

-48.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.89 €12.35

-24.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.46 €14.64

-15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.53 €2.25

-7.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.68 €2.38

-39.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.71 €2.41

77.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.21 €4.63

-69.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.89 €1.68

101.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.23 €1.98

65.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.48 €1.32

-23.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.14 €1.02

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$12.60 €11.21

-58.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.83 €6.07

191.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.48 €1.31

95.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.72 €2.42

33.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.62 €3.22

-69.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$66.0 €58.7

10.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.50 €4.89

-61.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.44 €3.06

-54.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$22.12 €19.67

-61.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.39 €2.13

-36.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$41.8K €37.2K

-48.33%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$42.6K €37.9K

-18.93%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$265 €236

-63.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$28.28 €25.15

26.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$63.2 €56.2

-15.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$68.0 €60.5

5.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$33.61 €29.89

3.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.73 €14.88

-52.84%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$678 €603

-27.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$15.6K €13.9K

-24.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$113 €100

-52.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$47.90 €42.60

15.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.3 €80.4

-13.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$141 €126

-43.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,683 €1,497

-53.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,432 €1,274

-44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,924 €2,601

34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,281 €2,029

-37.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$6,800 €6,049

1.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,225 €4,648

-76.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,910 €3,478

-77.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.3

100.47%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hilversum: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Hilversum

$1.4K 49.1% 80.3% $638

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Hilversum

$360 12.3% 2.3% $8.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Hilversum

$390 13.4% 84% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Hilversum

$356 12.2% 91.9% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Hilversum

$177 6.1% 47.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Hilversum

$101 3.5% 16.1% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Hilversum

$103 3.5% 18.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,683 in Hilversum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 353% 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 $80.0 in Hilversum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $360 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇱 Hilversum

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

08:06 8:06 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

93,345

💱 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 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Hilversum 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Hilversum

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 Hilversum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Hilversum differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,920 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 353% lower in Hilversum. 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 $1,683 in Hilversum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 10% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $678 in Hilversum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,920 in Hilversum, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. 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 Hilversum 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 59% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.