Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kos

For one person, living is cheaper in Kos: $1,498 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Kos
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,498
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,498 in Kos.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Kos $1,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,242 in Kos.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Kos $2,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,985 in Kos.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Kos $2,985

Living in Nosara is roughly 23% more expensive than in Kos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Kos 11% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Kos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$13.75 €12.23
-10.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$66.2 €58.9
-7.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$11.20 €9.96
-32.86%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.94 €3.50
11.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$3.04 €2.71
-42.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.10 €0.98
19.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$4.54 €4.04
-27.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$6.86 €6.10
-34.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Kos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$2.35 €2.09
-33.62%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.63 €1.45
85.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$2.60 €2.31
-3.46%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$4.74 €4.21
-24.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$13.53 €12.04
-45.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$9.99 €8.89
5.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$14.10 €12.54
-0.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.22 €1.98
5.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$2.03 €1.80
-20.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$1.36 €1.21
252.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$1.98 €1.76
-18.69%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.15 €1.02
230.43%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.16 €1.03
218.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.06 €0.95
6.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$0.82 €0.73
224.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$5.14 €4.58
0.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$6.83 €6.07
191.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.10 €1.87
38.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.60 €2.32
39.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Kos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$1.76 €1.56
-36.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$44.70 €39.76
62.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$4.26 €3.79
-49.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.14 €1.01
37.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$16.09 €14.31
-47.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$2.09 €1.86
-27.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$27.4K €24.4K
-21.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$25.5K €22.7K
35.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Kos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$202 €180
-52.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$22.74 €20.23
57.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$34.73 €30.89
54.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Kos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$51.6 €45.89
38.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$28.44 €25.29
22.75%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$9.07 €8.07
-13.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Kos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$430 €382
14.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$7,795 €6,934
52.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Kos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$88.4 €78.7
-39.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$40.00 €35.58
38.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$88.4 €78.6
-11.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$118 €105
-32.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Kos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$616 €548
27.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$422 €376
88.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$738 €656
433.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$574 €511
147.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$2,685 €2,388
157.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$2,416 €2,149
-49.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Kos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$893 €794
-3.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.46
93.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Kos
$422 46.8% $372
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Kos
$290 17.7% $62
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Kos
$244 15.1% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Kos
$260 39.9% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Kos
$151 25.5% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Kos
$70 20.2% $18
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Kos
$62 29.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $616 in Kos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kos pays 3% 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 $66.0 in Kos. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $290, with Kos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇬🇷 Kos
🕒 Local time
01:35 1:35 AM
10:35 10:35 AM
9 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
30,947
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Kos 11,300 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Kos

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 Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Kos?
Kos wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Nosara or in Kos?
On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Kos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Kos?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $616 in Kos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Nosara and in Kos?
Dining out is cheaper in Kos – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Nosara compared to Kos?
All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,498 in Kos – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nosara or in Kos?
At $1,498 in Kos versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kos but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Kos?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,498 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kos hard to pass up.
How safe is Nosara compared to Kos?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Kos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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