Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mortsel

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,130 in Mortsel, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Mortsel
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Mortsel Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Mortsel

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mortsel

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,130 in Mortsel, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Mortsel $2,130

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,214 in Mortsel, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Mortsel $3,214

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,298 in Mortsel, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Mortsel $4,298

Nosara is about 14% cheaper than Mortsel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Mortsel sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Mortsel by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$21.95 €19.53

-43.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$106 €94.6

-42.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$13.26 €11.80

-41.48%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.24 €3.77

4.72%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.38 €3.01

-47.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.92 €2.60

-55.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.33 €4.74

-39.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.62 €5.00

-21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.35 €1.20

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.75 €2.45

12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.16 €1.92

17.13%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.99 €3.55

-13.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$17.39 €15.47

-57.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.95 €10.63

-14.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$23.09 €20.54

-38.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.77 €2.47

-17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.33 €2.07

-29.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.64 €2.35

81.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.85 €2.53

-42.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.16 €1.92

78.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.88 €1.67

99.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.36 €1.21

-19.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.01 €0.90

156.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$13.18 €11.72

-61.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.79 €7.82

126.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.95 €1.74

43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.26 €2.01

55.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$3.02 €2.69

-59.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$59.0 €52.5

25.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$5.56 €4.95

-60.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.73 €2.43

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$24.72 €21.98

-64.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.05 €1.82

-24.39%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.5K €31.6K

-2.67%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$33.6K €29.9K

15.41%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$221 €197

-57.19%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$20.75 €18.46

74.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$46.34 €41.22

14.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$35.60 €31.66

107.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$19.83 €17.64

79.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$15.09 €13.42

-47.58%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$565 €502

-13.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$21.0K €18.7K

-43.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$110 €98.0

-50.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$47.79 €42.51

16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$104 €92.7

-22.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$148 €132

-47.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$914 €813

-12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$812 €722

-2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,406 €1,251

184.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,194 €1,062

17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$4,134 €3,677

70.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,946 €2,620

-58.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,323 €2,066

-61.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.46

149.13%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mortsel: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Mortsel

$812 38.1% 2.8% $22

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Mortsel

$359 16.9% 2.7% $9.4

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Mortsel

$329 15.5% 54.9% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Mortsel

$289 13.6% 56.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Mortsel

$185 8.7% 52.5% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Mortsel

$66 3.1% 26.6% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Mortsel

$90 4.2% 1.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $914 in Mortsel. 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 162% higher in Mortsel, 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 $106 in Mortsel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $359 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇪 Mortsel

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

00:55 12:55 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

24,525

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mortsel 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mortsel

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 Mortsel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mortsel is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,194 in Mortsel. 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.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Mortsel, 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 $106 in Mortsel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Mortsel at $2,130. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mortsel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mortsel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.