Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Marinha Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Marinha Grande: $1,623 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Marinha Grande
Learn more

Marinha Grande Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Marinha Grande

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Marinha Grande

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,623 in Marinha Grande, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Marinha Grande $1,623

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,365 in Marinha Grande, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Marinha Grande $2,365

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,108 in Marinha Grande, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Marinha Grande $3,108

Nosara costs about 13% more than Marinha Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Marinha Grande sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Marinha Grande by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$13.02 €11.58

-5.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$52.2 €46.39

17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.68 €9.50

-27.34%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.30 €2.04

93.04%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.99 €1.77

-10.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.68 €1.50

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.31 €2.94

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.71 €2.41

63.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.08 €0.96

43.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.91 €1.70

61.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.36 €1.21

86.03%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.61 €2.32

32.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.82 €10.51

-38.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.83 €6.07

49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.94 €9.73

28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.78 €1.58

28.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.68 €1.49

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.35 €1.20

254.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.51 €2.23

-34.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.26 €1.12

205.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.73 €1.54

116.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.38 €1.23

-21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.83 €0.74

212.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$6.06 €5.39

-15.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$5.63 €5.01

253.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.24 €1.10

125.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.38 €1.23

155.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.24 €2.00

-45.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$40.88 €36.36

80.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.92 €3.49

-44.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.10 €0.98

41.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$16.63 €14.79

-47.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.07 €1.84

-25.12%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.2K €29.5K

4.04%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$37.8K €33.6K

2.61%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$128 €114

-25.96%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$18.80 €16.72

92.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$44.39 €39.49

19.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$40.34 €35.89

82.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$16.94 €15.07

110.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$8.83 €7.85

-10.42%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$259 €230

89.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,140 €5,462

93.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$76.8 €68.3

-28.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$30.48 €27.11

83.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$99.7 €88.7

-19.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$66.7 €59.3

16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$975 €867

-17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$763 €678

3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$748 €666

435.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,171 €1,042

20.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,051 €2,714

131.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,274 €2,023

-45.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$883 €786

0.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.85

123.90%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Marinha Grande: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Marinha Grande

$763 47% 3.4% $27

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Marinha Grande

$228 14.1% 34.8% $122

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Marinha Grande

$200 12.4% 5.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Marinha Grande

$191 11.8% 3.9% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Marinha Grande

$123 7.6% 1.8% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Marinha Grande

$58 3.6% 35.3% $32

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Marinha Grande

$59 3.7% 33.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $975 in Marinha Grande. 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 0% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $52.0 in Marinha Grande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $228 – making Marinha Grande the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Marinha Grande

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

18:47 6:47 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

39,032

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Marinha Grande 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Marinha Grande

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 Marinha Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 13% more than Marinha Grande, 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 $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,434 in Marinha Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 53% 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 $52.0 in Marinha Grande. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Marinha Grande, where all-in costs run around $1,623, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Marinha Grande it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Marinha Grande costs $1,623 versus $1,835 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 Marinha Grande. 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.