Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Les Escaldes

For one person, living is cheaper in Les Escaldes: $356 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Les Escaldes
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Les Escaldes Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Les Escaldes

🇦🇩 Andorra

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Les Escaldes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $356 in Les Escaldes.

Nosara $1,837
Les Escaldes $356

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,771 in Les Escaldes.

Nosara $2,775
Les Escaldes $1,771

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,185 in Les Escaldes.

Nosara $3,712
Les Escaldes $3,185

Living in Nosara is roughly 416% more expensive than in Les Escaldes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Les Escaldes is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$14.71 €13.12

-16.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$40.06 €35.75

50.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$13.26 €11.83

-43.14%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.47 €2.21

74.49%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.59 €2.31

-33.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.63 €1.45

-17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.17 €2.83

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.18 €2.84

40.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.17 €1.94

-27.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.31 €3.84

-17.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$17.04 €15.21

-19.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.85 €3.43

-39.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.75 €5.13

-13.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$6.82 €6.08

193.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.23 €1.99

-46.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.85 €1.65

-15.14%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,849 €2,542

35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,275 €2,031

-38.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$11.2K €9,989

-89.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,631 €2,348

-66.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Les Escaldes: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Les Escaldes

$123 * 34.3% 64.8% $227

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Les Escaldes

$226 63.2% 8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Les Escaldes

$8.9 * 2.5% 89.7% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Les Escaldes pays 200% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $40.00 in Les Escaldes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $123 per month, with Les Escaldes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇩 Les Escaldes

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

10:34 10:34 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,853

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Les Escaldes 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Les Escaldes

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 Les Escaldes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Les Escaldes differ by about 416% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $356 including rent). Les Escaldes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 200% lower in Les Escaldes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in Les Escaldes – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $356 in Les Escaldes – a 416% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $356 in Les Escaldes versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Les Escaldes but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Les Escaldes 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 Les Escaldes 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 Les Escaldes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 416% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.