Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Motril

For one person, living is cheaper in Motril: $1,470 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Motril
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Motril Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Motril

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Motril

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,470 in Motril.

Nosara $1,839
Motril $1,470

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,199 in Motril.

Nosara $2,828
Motril $2,199

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,929 in Motril.

Nosara $3,818
Motril $2,929

Living in Nosara is roughly 25% more expensive than in Motril, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Motril 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$16.84 €14.98

-26.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$56.2 €49.98

8.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.89 €6.13

9.14%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.99 €1.77

121.61%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.78 €2.47

-37.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.14 €1.01

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.45 €3.96

-26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.64 €5.01

-20.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.10 €0.98

41.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.75 €1.55

72.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.41 €1.25

78.01%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.06 €3.61

-12.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.30 €11.83

-44.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.41 €3.93

138.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.31 €14.51

-14.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.28 €2.02

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.28 €2.03

-29.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.19 €1.95

119.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.74 €2.44

-41.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.79 €1.59

112.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.73 €2.42

35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.70 €1.51

-33.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.68 €0.60

291.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.64 €5.90

-21.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.04 €8.04

119.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.52 €1.36

90.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.18 €1.94

66.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.60 €1.43

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$35.93 €31.96

102.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.96 €1.74

9.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.13 €1.01

38.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$22.20 €19.75

-61.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.71 €1.52

-11.11%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$26.0K €23.1K

-16.78%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.6K €25.4K

20.71%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$76.6 €68.1

25.74%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.80 €14.06

127.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.30 €19.84

140.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$50.9 €45.29

40.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.75 €14.01

121.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.58 €5.85

19.91%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$250 €223

97.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.3K €11.8K

-10.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.27 €29.59

62.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$28.19 €25.07

96.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$77.5 €69.0

0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$45.11 €40.12

76.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$878 €781

-10.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$665 €591

19.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,365 €1,214

188.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$994 €884

42.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,188 €2,836

116.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,159 €1,921

-43.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,681 €1,495

-48.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

187.33%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Motril: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Motril

$665 45.3% 16.3% $129

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Motril

$265 18% 24.9% $88

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Motril

$228 15.6% 7.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Motril

$115 7.8% 38.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Motril

$83 5.6% 31% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Motril

$64 4.4% 26.7% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Motril

$50 3.4% 42.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $878 in Motril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Motril pays 95% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $56.0 in Motril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $265 per month, with Motril cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇪🇸 Motril

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

09:21 9:21 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

58,939

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Motril 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Motril

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 Motril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Motril is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Motril. 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 $878 in Motril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Motril – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,470 in Motril – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,470 in Motril versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Motril but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Motril the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nosara and Motril 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 Motril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.