Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Madeira: $1,597 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Madeira
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Madeira Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Madeira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,597 in Madeira.

Nosara $1,837
Madeira $1,597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,383 in Madeira.

Nosara $2,775
Madeira $2,383

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,169 in Madeira.

Nosara $3,712
Madeira $3,169

Living in Nosara is roughly 15% more expensive than in Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Madeira 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$11.62 €10.37

5.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$46.16 €41.19

30.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.12 €8.14

-17.32%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.10 €1.88

105.24%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.85 €1.65

-7.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.43 €1.27

-5.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.27 €2.03

42.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.54 €3.16

26.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.09 €0.98

44.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.53 €1.37

107.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.60 €1.43

51.25%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.99 €2.67

19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.53 €10.29

-35.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$7.69 €6.86

35.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.00 €12.49

-2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.35 €2.10

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.41 €1.26

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.80 €1.61

163.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.50 €2.23

-33.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.51 €1.34

146.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.92 €1.72

85.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.55 €1.38

-29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.84 €0.75

203.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.04 €5.39

-18.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.22 €4.66

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.30 €1.16

114.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.32 €2.07

52.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.36 €2.11

-49.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$42.32 €37.77

70.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$4.28 €3.82

-47.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.79 €0.71

96.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$17.53 €15.65

-49.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.90 €1.69

-17.37%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$35.4K €31.6K

-38.36%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$39.1K €34.9K

-11.37%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$134 €120

-30.26%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$20.90 €18.65

67.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$41.95 €37.44

22.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$43.41 €38.74

64.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.37 €15.50

104.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.35 €7.45

-6.11%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$473 €422

3.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,183 €7,303

45.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$74.7 €66.7

-28.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$38.11 €34.01

46.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$91.9 €82.0

-13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$92.8 €82.8

-14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$914 €816

-14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$717 €640

8.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,446 €1,291

166.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,145 €1,021

22.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,012 €2,688

131.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,356 €2,103

-49.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.01

72.06%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Madeira: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Madeira

$717 45.1% 8% $62

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Madeira

$246 15.5% 29.7% $104

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Madeira

$177 11.1% 15.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Madeira

$197 12.4% 9.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Madeira

$134 8.4% 11.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Madeira

$60 3.8% 31% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Madeira

$60 3.8% 30.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $914 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $46.00 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $246 per month, with Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Madeira

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

154

💱 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 Madeira 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Madeira

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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madeira is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $2,395 in Madeira to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $914 in Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,597 in Madeira – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Madeira runs roughly 70% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,597 in Madeira versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Madeira but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Madeira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Madeira is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Madeira 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 Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.