Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ponta Delgada

For one person, living is cheaper in Ponta Delgada: $1,689 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Ponta Delgada
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Ponta Delgada Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Ponta Delgada

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ponta Delgada

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,689 in Ponta Delgada, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Ponta Delgada $1,689

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,391 in Ponta Delgada, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Ponta Delgada $2,391

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,092 in Ponta Delgada, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Ponta Delgada $3,092

Nosara costs about 9% more than Ponta Delgada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Ponta Delgada sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Ponta Delgada by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$13.61 €12.14

-10.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$45.22 €40.35

33.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.85 €9.69

-30.51%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.81 €1.62

138.12%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.80 €1.61

-4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.87 €1.67

-27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.17 €2.83

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.74 €3.34

19.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.00 €0.89

57.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.61 €1.44

96.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.73 €1.55

39.88%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.00 €2.67

19.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$16.81 €15.00

-55.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$11.58 €10.34

-10.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$16.61 €14.82

-17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.45 €2.19

-5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.73 €1.54

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.19 €1.95

116.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.09 €2.76

-46.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.55 €1.38

140.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.65 €1.47

116.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.87 €2.56

-61.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.01 €0.91

152.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.13 €4.58

-3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.87 €5.24

240.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.43 €2.17

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.19 €2.85

10.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.72 €1.54

-30.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$56.5 €50.4

27.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$5.75 €5.13

-61.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.36 €1.21

13.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$5.59 €4.99

58.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.09 €1.86

-24.88%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$33.9K €30.2K

-35.59%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$40.6K €36.3K

-14.77%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$145 €129

-35.50%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$18.87 €16.84

86.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$43.04 €38.41

19.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$32.96 €29.41

116.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$19.89 €17.75

78.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$9.49 €8.47

-17.39%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$279 €249

75.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,699 €5,978

77.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$47.95 €42.79

11.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$33.41 €29.81

66.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$66.4 €59.3

19.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$134 €119

-40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,200 €1,071

-34.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$697 €622

11.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,399 €1,248

175.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$963 €859

46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,972 €3,544

75.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,992 €2,670

-59.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,401 €1,250

-37.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.71

132.35%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ponta Delgada: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Ponta Delgada

$697 41.7% 10.6% $82

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Ponta Delgada

$312 18.7% 10.8% $38

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Ponta Delgada

$201 12% 3.9% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Ponta Delgada

$207 12.4% 14.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Ponta Delgada

$127 7.6% 5.2% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ponta Delgada

$52 3.1% 40.4% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ponta Delgada

$76 4.5% 12.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,200 in Ponta Delgada. 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 60% higher in Ponta Delgada, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $45.00 in Ponta Delgada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $312 – making Ponta Delgada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Ponta Delgada

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

13:00 1:00 PM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

67,233

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ponta Delgada 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ponta Delgada

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 Ponta Delgada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,689 in Ponta Delgada – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,534 in Ponta Delgada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 28% less in Ponta Delgada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $279 in Ponta Delgada. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ponta Delgada, where all-in costs run around $1,689, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Ponta Delgada it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,689 in Ponta Delgada to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Ponta Delgada. 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.