Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Matosinhos

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Matosinhos: $1,839 and $1,926 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Matosinhos
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Matosinhos Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Matosinhos

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,926

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Matosinhos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,926 in Matosinhos.

Nosara $1,839
Matosinhos $1,926

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,803 in Matosinhos.

Nosara $2,828
Matosinhos $2,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,680 in Matosinhos.

Nosara $3,818
Matosinhos $3,680

Living in Nosara costs roughly 5% less than in Matosinhos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Matosinhos 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.41 €11.93

-7.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$47.70 €42.43

28.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.91 €8.81

-24.12%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.69 €2.40

63.94%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.07 €1.84

-15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.51 €1.34

-13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.19 €1.94

49.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.30 €2.94

35.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.11 €0.98

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.68 €1.50

79.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.70 €1.52

47.65%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.36 €2.99

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.61 €10.33

-36.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.21 €6.42

45.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.34 €12.76

-2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.18 €1.94

7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.50 €1.33

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.79 €1.59

168.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.47 €2.20

-34.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.62 €1.44

134.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.86 €1.66

98.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.53 €1.36

-26.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.77 €0.68

245.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.43 €5.72

-19.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.55 €4.94

258.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.37 €1.22

111.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.07 €1.84

75.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.70 €2.40

-58.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$44.17 €39.29

64.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.47 €3.98

-52.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.81 €0.72

93.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$14.19 €12.62

-39.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.13 €1.89

-28.64%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.7K €30.0K

-35.83%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$38.1K €33.9K

-9.45%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$158 €141

-39.25%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.04 €19.60

62.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$32.78 €29.15

63.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$62.3 €55.4

14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$22.15 €19.70

57.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.20 €8.18

-14.24%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$567 €504

-12.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.5K €9,324

13.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$95.9 €85.3

-43.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.94 €32.86

50.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$92.2 €82.0

-15.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$102 €90.4

-21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,160 €1,032

-32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$973 €866

-18.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,225 €1,979

77.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,571 €1,397

-9.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,329 €3,850

59.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,785 €3,367

-67.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,565 €1,392

-44.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.67

134.88%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Matosinhos: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Matosinhos

$973 50.5% 22.5% $179

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Matosinhos

$248 12.9% 29.7% $105

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Matosinhos

$201 10.5% 5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Matosinhos

$213 11.1% 14.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Matosinhos

$147 7.6% 22.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Matosinhos

$81 4.2% 7.7% $6.7

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Matosinhos

$64 3.3% 27.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,160 in Matosinhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matosinhos pays 81% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $48.00 in Matosinhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $248 per month, with Matosinhos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Matosinhos

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

22:42 10:42 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

172,586

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Matosinhos 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Matosinhos

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 Matosinhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Matosinhos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,160 in Matosinhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,926 in Matosinhos – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 64% less than in Matosinhos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,926 in Matosinhos, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Matosinhos. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nosara and Matosinhos 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Matosinhos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.