Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lija

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $1,972 in Lija, 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lija

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,972 in Lija, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lija $1,972

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,209 in Lija, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lija $3,209

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,446 in Lija, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lija $4,446

Nosara is about 7% cheaper than Lija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Lija sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Lija by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$22.27 €19.81

-44.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$91.0 €81.0

-32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.14 €11.69

-42.77%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.13 €2.79

40.89%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.42 €2.15

-28.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.97 €1.75

-33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.45 €4.85

-39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.71 €5.97

-33.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.33 €1.18

17.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.41 €1.25

114.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.46 €3.08

-27.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.22 €3.76

-15.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.49 €9.33

-29.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.19 €10.84

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.21 €16.20

-23.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.86 €3.44

-39.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.74 €2.44

-41.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.83 €3.40

25.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.69 €3.28

-56.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.92 €1.71

97.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.42 €3.04

7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.19 €1.95

-48.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.54 €1.37

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.36 €5.66

-18.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.11 €5.44

225.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.37 €2.11

22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.28 €2.03

59.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.37 €2.11

-52.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.95 €3.52

-45.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.78 €1.58

-11.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$32.04 €28.50

-73.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.52 €1.35

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.8K €24.7K

-22.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.1K €34.8K

-11.72%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$156 €138

-38.12%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$31.66 €28.16

13.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$28.94 €25.75

85.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$70.5 €62.7

1.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.36 €10.11

-30.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$279 €248

77.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.2K €10.9K

-3.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.8 €51.4

-6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$68.0 €60.5

-18.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$111 €98.8

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$130 €116

-38.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,106 €984

-28.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$819 €728

-2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,794 €1,595

119.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,693 €1,506

-16.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,111 €3,657

68.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,697 €2,399

-54.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.05

112.84%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lija: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lija

$819 41.5% 3.1% $24

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lija

$343 17.4% 2.6% $9.2

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lija

$313 15.9% 48% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lija

$216 11% 16.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lija

$165 8.4% 37.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lija

$93 4.7% 6.6% $5.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lija

$22 * 1.1% 74.4% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,106 in Lija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $91.0 in Lija. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $343 in Lija – so Lija wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇹 Lija

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,200

💱 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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Between locations

Nosara Lija 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lija

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 Lija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,972 in Lija – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,958 in Lija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,972 in Lija. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $279 in Lija. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Lija at $1,972. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lija it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $1,972 in Lija. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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