Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Migdal HaEmek

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,776 in Migdal HaEmek, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Migdal HaEmek
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Migdal HaEmek Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Migdal HaEmek

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Migdal HaEmek

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,776 in Migdal HaEmek, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Migdal HaEmek $2,776

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,045 in Migdal HaEmek, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Migdal HaEmek $4,045

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,314 in Migdal HaEmek, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Migdal HaEmek $5,314

Nosara is about 34% cheaper than Migdal HaEmek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Migdal HaEmek sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Migdal HaEmek by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$25.63 ₪79.8

-51.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$90.5 ₪282

-32.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$19.38 ₪60.3

-61.20%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.55 ₪14.16

-3.08%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.43 ₪10.68

-49.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.76 ₪8.60

-52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.49 ₪29.51

-65.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$10.16 ₪31.62

-56.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.42 ₪7.54

-35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.60 ₪11.21

-16.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.28 ₪10.20

-23.48%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.45 ₪13.85

-19.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.90 ₪40.13

-42.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.77 ₪39.74

-17.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$24.05 ₪74.8

-41.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.41 ₪13.71

-46.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.96 ₪9.21

-45.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.38 ₪7.41

101.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.54 ₪7.91

-36.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.05 ₪6.37

85.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.68 ₪5.24

119.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.31 ₪7.20

-51.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.42 ₪7.53

9.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.08 ₪31.37

-48.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.04 ₪40.57

52.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.23 ₪10.04

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.20 ₪13.07

-13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.52 ₪7.85

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$111 ₪345

-34.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.31 ₪13.41

-50.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.22 ₪3.81

28.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$36.62 ₪114

-76.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.54 ₪7.89

-40.16%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$58.3K ₪181.5K

-62.95%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$57.3K ₪178.4K

-39.80%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$258 ₪802

-62.62%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.81 ₪36.76

203.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$36.31 ₪113

47.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$89.6 ₪279

-20.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$15.59 ₪48.49

-49.39%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,155 ₪3,592

-57.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$27.5K ₪85.6K

-56.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$103 ₪322

-47.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$64.5 ₪201

-14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$133 ₪413

-41.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$156 ₪485

-48.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,477 ₪4,594

-46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,177 ₪3,660

-32.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,984 ₪6,174

98.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,775 ₪5,522

-20.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$10.1K ₪31.3K

-31.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$8,612 ₪26.8K

-85.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.04

71.03%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Migdal HaEmek: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Migdal HaEmek

$1.2K 42.4% 48.1% $382

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Migdal HaEmek

$426 15.4% 21% $74

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Migdal HaEmek

$410 14.8% 93.7% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Migdal HaEmek

$306 11% 64.6% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Migdal HaEmek

$205 7.4% 71% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Migdal HaEmek

$121 4.4% 38.3% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Migdal HaEmek

$131 4.7% 50.8% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,477 in Migdal HaEmek. 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 Migdal HaEmek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $426 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇱 Migdal HaEmek

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

24,700

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Migdal HaEmek 12,160 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Migdal HaEmek

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 Migdal HaEmek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Migdal HaEmek costs about 51% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,165 in Migdal HaEmek. 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.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,155 in Migdal HaEmek. 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 Migdal HaEmek at $2,776. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Migdal HaEmek it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,776 in Migdal HaEmek. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Migdal HaEmek makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.