Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Povoa de Varzim

For one person, living is cheaper in Povoa de Varzim: $1,681 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Povoa de Varzim
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Povoa de Varzim Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Povoa de Varzim

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Povoa de Varzim

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 Povoa de Varzim actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,681 in Povoa de Varzim, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Povoa de Varzim $1,681

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,465 in Povoa de Varzim, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Povoa de Varzim $2,465

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,249 in Povoa de Varzim, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Povoa de Varzim $3,249

Nosara costs about 9% more than Povoa de Varzim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Povoa de Varzim sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Povoa de Varzim by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$13.29 €11.83

-7.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$50.4 €44.79

21.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.99 €8.89

-22.32%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.92 €1.71

131.25%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.96 €1.74

-8.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.32 €1.17

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.26 €2.01

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.25 €2.89

36.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.14 €1.01

35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.55 €1.38

98.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.45 €1.29

74.48%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.29 €2.92

4.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.51 €10.24

-36.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.92 €6.15

47.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$16.39 €14.58

-13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.22 €1.97

3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.57 €1.40

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.83 €1.63

161.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.48 €2.21

-33.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.63 €1.45

136.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.80 €1.60

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.60 €1.43

-31.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.71 €0.63

264.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$6.57 €5.84

-22.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$5.54 €4.93

259.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.30 €1.16

115.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.09 €1.86

68.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.28 €2.02

-46.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$41.70 €37.09

77.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.84 €3.41

-43.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.87 €0.77

79.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$14.13 €12.57

-38.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.12 €1.88

-26.89%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.9K €29.2K

5.07%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$35.9K €31.9K

7.91%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$160 €142

-40.58%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$22.10 €19.66

63.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$33.16 €29.49

60.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.51 €36.92

77.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$16.96 €15.08

110.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$9.09 €8.08

-12.98%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$583 €519

-15.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.5K €9,310

13.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$97.7 €86.9

-43.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$33.49 €29.79

66.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$93.3 €83.0

-13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$104 €92.8

-25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$964 €857

-16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$760 €676

3.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,511 €1,344

165.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,194 €1,062

18.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,067 €2,728

130.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,240 €1,992

-44.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,459 €1,297

-39.21%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Povoa de Varzim: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Povoa de Varzim

$760 45.2% 3.8% $30

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Povoa de Varzim

$250 14.9% 28.6% $100

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Povoa de Varzim

$190 11.3% 10.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Povoa de Varzim

$215 12.8% 16.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Povoa de Varzim

$148 8.8% 22.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Povoa de Varzim

$60 3.6% 33.4% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Povoa de Varzim

$59 3.5% 33.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $964 in Povoa de Varzim. 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 65% higher in Povoa de Varzim, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $50.0 in Povoa de Varzim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $250 – making Povoa de Varzim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Povoa de Varzim

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

01:19 1:19 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

64,257

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Povoa de Varzim 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Povoa de Varzim

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 Povoa de Varzim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,681 in Povoa de Varzim – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,521 in Povoa de Varzim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 77% less in Povoa de Varzim. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $583 in Povoa de Varzim. 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 Povoa de Varzim, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Povoa de Varzim 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 $1,681 in Povoa de Varzim to $1,835 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 Povoa de Varzim. 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.