Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lamia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lamia: $1,192 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Lamia
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Lamia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lamia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lamia

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,192 in Lamia, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lamia $1,192

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,853 in Lamia, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lamia $1,853

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,515 in Lamia, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lamia $2,515

Nosara costs about 54% more than Lamia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Lamia is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.07 €15.18

-27.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$54.8 €48.75

11.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.45 €7.52

-11.01%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.09 €2.75

42.72%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.37 €1.22

27.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.49 €0.43

167.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.06 €4.50

-35.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.22 €5.54

-28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.67 €1.49

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.09 €0.97

177.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.04 €1.82

23.04%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.45 €3.07

3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.25 €8.23

-19.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.04 €5.37

74.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.18 €8.17

52.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.96 €1.74

19.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.20 €1.96

-26.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.97 €1.75

143.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.15 €1.91

-25.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.22 €1.09

211.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.14 €1.02

223.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.58 €0.51

94.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.88 €0.78

202.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.93 €4.39

5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.03 €6.25

182.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.90 €0.80

222.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.27 €2.02

59.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.30 €1.16

-13.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$41.33 €36.76

75.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.15 €3.70

-48.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.14 €1.02

37.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$16.71 €14.87

-49.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.06 €1.83

-26.21%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.0K €24.9K

-22.88%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.2K €24.2K

27.10%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$197 €175

-51.07%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.56 €20.06

59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$30.37 €27.02

76.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$55.0 €48.94

30.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$25.51 €22.69

36.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.62 €6.78

3.54%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$275 €244

79.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,477 €5,762

83.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$40.11 €35.68

34.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$45.68 €40.63

21.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$67.1 €59.7

16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$131 €116

-39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$486 €432

62.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$225 €200

252.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$497 €442

692.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$389 €346

264.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,640 €2,349

161.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,193 €1,951

-44.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,112 €989

-22.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.34

61.42%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lamia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lamia

$225 18.9% 71.6% $569

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lamia

$219 18.3% 37.9% $134

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lamia

$244 20.5% 15.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lamia

$250 21% 34.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lamia

$128 10.7% 6.2% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lamia

$70 5.9% 19.6% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lamia

$56 4.7% 35.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $486 in Lamia. 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 29% higher in Lamia, 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 $55.0 in Lamia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $219 – making Lamia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇷 Lamia

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

01:41 1:41 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

52,006

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Lamia 10,830 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lamia

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 Lamia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 54% more than Lamia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,788 in Lamia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 61% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $55.0 in Lamia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lamia, where all-in costs run around $1,192, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lamia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lamia costs $1,192 versus $1,839 in Nosara. 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 Lamia. 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.