Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Madona

For one person, living is cheaper in Madona: $1,128 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Madona
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Madona Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Madona

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Madona

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,128 in Madona, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Madona $1,128

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,730 in Madona, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Madona $1,730

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,331 in Madona, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Madona $2,331

Nosara costs about 63% more than Madona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Madona is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$16.87 €15.00

-26.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$66.8 €59.4

-8.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.28 €8.25

-16.38%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.75 €3.33

18.40%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.57 €1.40

14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.20 €1.06

7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.60 €4.98

-42.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.91 €4.37

-9.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.20 €1.07

29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.48 €1.32

108.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.48 €2.21

2.02%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.60 €3.20

-4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.34 €9.20

-29.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$8.48 €7.54

20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.57 €12.07

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.09 €1.86

9.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.77 €1.57

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.49 €2.21

92.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.21 €2.85

-48.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.82 €0.73

369.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.90 €0.80

316.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.74 €1.55

-37.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.87 €0.78

197.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$6.85 €6.09

-25.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$7.64 €6.79

160.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.02 €1.80

38.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.09 €1.86

68.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.42 €3.05

-36.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.98 €0.87

59.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$17.80 €15.83

-51.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.08 €1.85

-25.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.9K €23.9K

28.59%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$30.3K €27.0K

27.85%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$365 €325

-74.03%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$19.58 €17.42

84.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$19.97 €17.76

165.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$28.19 €25.07

161.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$5.53 €4.92

43.04%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$668 €594

-26.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.9K €15.9K

-33.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$69.9 €62.2

-21.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$51.0 €45.37

9.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$86.8 €77.2

-7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$138 €123

-43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.77

80.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Madona: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Madona

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Madona

$264 23.4% 24.6% $86

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Madona

$257 22.8% 20.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Madona

$405 35.9% 120% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Madona

$155 13.8% 28.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Madona

$39 3.5% 56.2% $50

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Madona

$8.3 * 0.7% 90.6% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $67.0 in Madona. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $264 in Madona – so Madona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇻 Madona

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,800

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Madona 10,360 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Madona

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 Madona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,692 in Madona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $67.0 in Madona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Madona, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Madona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Madona – 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 Madona. 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.