Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and La Spezia

For one person, living is cheaper in La Spezia: $1,710 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in La Spezia
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La Spezia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

La Spezia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in La Spezia

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,710 in La Spezia, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
La Spezia $1,710

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,606 in La Spezia, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
La Spezia $2,606

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,501 in La Spezia, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
La Spezia $3,501

Nosara costs about 8% more than La Spezia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Nosara and La Spezia sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, La Spezia by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$16.57 €14.74

-25.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.9 €70.2

-22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.87 €8.78

-23.81%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.78 €1.59

147.75%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.62 €2.33

-33.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.19 €1.05

10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.70 €5.07

-42.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.59 €4.08

-2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.42 €1.26

9.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.84 €1.64

64.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.14 €1.90

17.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.29 €3.82

-16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$20.28 €18.04

-63.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.35 €10.99

-14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$19.25 €17.12

-27.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.77 €3.35

-37.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.16 €1.92

-25.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.84 €2.52

69.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.56 €4.06

-64.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.19 €1.94

73.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.81 €1.61

103.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.60 €1.42

-29.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.60 €0.53

343.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.58 €5.85

-21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.77 €6.03

193.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.77 €1.57

63.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.76 €1.56

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.72 €1.53

-34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$37.01 €32.92

96.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.54 €4.04

-52.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.68 €1.49

-6.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$22.67 €20.17

-62.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.95 €1.73

-22.05%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.5K €30.7K

-37.33%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.0K €34.7K

-11.57%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$182 €162

-47.23%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.34 €5.64

466.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$27.85 €24.77

92.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.14 €33.03

92.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$38.05 €33.85

-8.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.19 €9.06

-22.57%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$491 €436

0.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.1K €9,837

7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$76.9 €68.4

-29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.52 €29.82

65.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$110 €97.8

-29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$99.3 €88.3

-19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$757 €674

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$644 €573

23.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,242 €1,105

217.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$973 €866

45.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,814 €2,503

145.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,294 €2,041

-46.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,727 €1,536

-49.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.73

131.10%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for La Spezia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

La Spezia

$644 37.7% 18.9% $150

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

La Spezia

$354 20.7% 0.6% $2.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

La Spezia

$236 13.8% 11.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

La Spezia

$217 12.7% 16.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

La Spezia

$144 8.4% 19.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

La Spezia

$58 3.4% 34.2% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

La Spezia

$57 3.3% 34.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $757 in La Spezia. 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 100% higher in La Spezia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $79.0 in La Spezia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $354 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇹 La Spezia

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

14:32 2:32 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

91,391

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara La Spezia 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
La Spezia

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 La Spezia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,565 in La Spezia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Spezia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $491 in La Spezia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in La Spezia, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in Nosara at $1,839. In La Spezia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Spezia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 La Spezia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.