Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Imperia

For one person, living is cheaper in Imperia: $1,701 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Imperia
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Imperia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Imperia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Imperia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,701 in Imperia.

Nosara $1,835
Imperia $1,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $2,550 in Imperia.

Nosara $2,825
Imperia $2,550

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $3,400 in Imperia.

Nosara $3,814
Imperia $3,400

Living in Nosara is roughly 8% more expensive than in Imperia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Imperia 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$13.58 €12.08

-9.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$62.6 €55.7

-2.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.08 €9.85

-29.96%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.67 €1.49

165.87%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.66 €3.26

-51.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.44 €1.28

-10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.78 €5.14

-43.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.39 €4.79

-17.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.75 €1.55

-11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.12 €1.89

45.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.52 €3.13

-28.13%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.14 €3.68

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$12.50 €11.12

-41.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$12.12 €10.78

-15.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$22.74 €20.23

-37.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.38 €2.12

-3.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.31 €2.05

-29.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.30 €2.94

45.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.17 €3.71

-60.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.40 €2.13

60.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.72 €1.53

118.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.25 €1.11

-12.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.53 €0.47

388.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$7.38 €6.56

-30.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$4.65 €4.14

328.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.14 €1.02

145.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.52 €2.24

39.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.89 €1.68

-35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$55.8 €49.60

32.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$7.80 €6.94

-72.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.18 €1.94

-28.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$64.9 €57.7

-86.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.20 €1.96

-29.55%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$37.0K €32.9K

-6.63%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$37.0K €32.9K

4.73%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$136 €121

-30.02%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$10.10 €8.98

257.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$29.96 €26.65

77.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$70.5 €62.7

4.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$25.55 €22.73

39.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.23 €9.99

-29.56%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$836 €744

-41.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$18.5K €16.5K

-35.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$91.1 €81.1

-39.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$39.73 €35.34

40.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$105 €93.0

-23.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$128 €114

-38.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$790 €702

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$627 €558

25.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,690 €1,503

136.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$910 €809

54.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,799 €2,490

152.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,030 €1,806

-39.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,753 €1,559

-49.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.18

171.07%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Imperia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Imperia

$627 36.9% 20.5% $162

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Imperia

$337 19.8% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Imperia

$222 13.1% 4.4% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Imperia

$176 10.3% 4.6% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Imperia

$163 9.6% 35% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Imperia

$93 5.5% 3.7% $3.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Imperia

$82 4.8% 7.6% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $790 in Imperia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Imperia pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $63.0 in Imperia. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $337, with Imperia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 Imperia

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

19:40 7:40 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

41,999

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Imperia 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Imperia

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 Imperia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Imperia. 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: $801 in Nosara versus $790 in Imperia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperia – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,701 in Imperia versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Imperia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Imperia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Imperia 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 Imperia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.