Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Riva del Garda

For one person, living is cheaper in Riva del Garda: $1,704 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara, Costa Rica
Riva del Garda, Italy
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Riva del Garda
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,704
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Riva del Garda

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 Riva del Garda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,704 in Riva del Garda, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Riva del Garda $1,704

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,560 in Riva del Garda, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Riva del Garda $2,560

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,416 in Riva del Garda, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Riva del Garda $3,416

Nosara costs about 8% more than Riva del Garda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Riva del Garda sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Riva del Garda by 26%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,584
$16.45 €14.69
-24.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.7K
$59.3 €52.9
3.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,512
$13.44 €12.00
-42.26%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡2,009
$2.28 €2.04
94.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡810
$3.45 €3.08
-48.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡585
$2.28 €2.03
-43.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,464
$5.55 €4.95
-41.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡2,003
$4.53 €4.04
-2.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡702
$1.14 €1.02
35.96%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,392
$2.63 €2.35
17.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,143
$2.72 €2.43
-6.99%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,560
$5.41 €4.83
-36.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,313
$12.88 €11.51
-43.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,635
$10.17 €9.08
0.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,382
$17.07 €15.24
-17.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,036
$1.65 €1.48
38.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡744
$1.88 €1.68
-12.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,168
$2.64 €2.36
81.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡742
$2.55 €2.28
-35.69%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,743
$1.90 €1.70
102.63%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,696
$1.58 €1.41
137.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡492
$1.09 €0.97
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,170
$0.23 €0.21
1026.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,315
$7.92 €7.08
-35.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡9,010
$7.88 €7.03
152.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,266
$1.10 €0.98
154.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,594
$1.14 €1.02
208.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡554
$1.71 €1.52
-28.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.4K
$42.58 €38.03
73.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡982
$7.84 €7.00
-72.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡704
$1.69 €1.51
-7.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,921
$30.81 €27.52
-71.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡703
$1.99 €1.77
-22.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.6M
$36.1K €32.3K
-4.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.5M
$34.9K €31.2K
11.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.9K
$211 €188
-54.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.4K
$11.29 €10.08
220.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡24.0K
$28.44 €25.40
86.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.4K
$55.3 €49.34
33.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.1K
$23.38 €20.88
52.40%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,579
$12.28 €10.97
-35.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡221.8K
$585 €522
-16.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$6,644 €5,934
78.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.8K
$90.1 €80.5
-39.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.3K
$44.18 €39.45
26.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.4K
$145 €130
-44.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡35.2K
$160 €143
-51.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡362.3K
$724 €647
10.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡357.2K
$558 €499
41.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$1,172 €1,047
241.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡637.6K
$886 €792
58.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$2,930 €2,617
141.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡559.2K
$2,045 €1,826
-39.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Riva del Garda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡401.1K
$1,778 €1,588
-50.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
3.11
177.17%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Riva del Garda: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Riva del Garda
$558 29.3% $231
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Riva del Garda
$293 16.1% $56
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Riva del Garda
$259 21.8% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Riva del Garda
$250 36.1% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Riva del Garda
$198 63.5% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Riva del Garda
$80 10.9% $9.8
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Riva del Garda
$66 26% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $724 in Riva del Garda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Riva del Garda are about 2 times higher, 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 in Nosara versus $59 in Riva del Garda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $293 – making Riva del Garda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇹 Riva del Garda
🕒 Local time
19:33 7:33 PM
02:33 2:33 AM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
16,926
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Riva del Garda 9,710 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Riva del Garda

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 Riva del Garda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Riva del Garda compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,704 in Riva del Garda – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Riva del Garda?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,556 in Riva del Garda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Riva del Garda?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Riva del Garda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $724 there versus $801 in Nosara.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Riva del Garda?
Public transport costs about 42% less in Riva del Garda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Riva del Garda?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $585 in Riva del Garda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Nosara compared to Riva del Garda?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,835 in Nosara and $1,704 in Riva del Garda, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Riva del Garda?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,704 in Riva del Garda to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Riva del Garda safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Nosara or Riva del Garda?
For expats, Riva del Garda is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 8% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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