Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Pawl Il-bahar

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pawl Il-bahar: $1,697 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in San Pawl Il-bahar
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San Pawl Il-bahar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

San Pawl Il-bahar

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,697

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in San Pawl Il-bahar

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 San Pawl Il-bahar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,697 in San Pawl Il-bahar, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
San Pawl Il-bahar $1,697

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,593 in San Pawl Il-bahar, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
San Pawl Il-bahar $2,593

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,489 in San Pawl Il-bahar, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
San Pawl Il-bahar $3,489

Nosara costs about 8% more than San Pawl Il-bahar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and San Pawl Il-bahar sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, San Pawl Il-bahar by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.75 €17.57

-37.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$82.2 €73.1

-25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.28 €10.03

-33.33%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.58 €2.30

70.93%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.47 €2.20

-29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.95 €1.74

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.50 €4.00

-27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.18 €4.60

-13.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.31 €1.17

19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.16 €1.03

160.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.82 €3.40

-34.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.62 €3.22

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.44 €7.50

-11.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.75 €6.89

35.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.41 €8.37

48.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.98 €2.65

-21.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.05 €1.82

-21.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.93 €2.60

63.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.86 €2.54

-43.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.57 €1.40

142.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.84 €1.64

100.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.19 €1.06

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.20 €1.07

121.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.33 €5.63

-18.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.30 €7.38

139.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.49 €1.32

94.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.00 €1.78

81.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.76 €2.46

-59.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.72 €5.09

-62.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.17 €1.93

-27.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$26.51 €23.58

-67.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.47 €1.30

3.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$38.3K €34.1K

-43.58%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.6K €35.2K

-12.77%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$58.9 €52.4

63.59%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$20.63 €18.35

73.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.96 €35.54

34.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$49.65 €44.17

44.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.51 €12.02

158.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.96 €8.86

-20.78%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$371 €330

33.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.1K €9,915

6.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$22.55 €20.06

139.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.53 €29.83

65.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$96.5 €85.8

-19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$75.4 €67.1

5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$981 €872

-19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$848 €755

-6.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,640 €1,459

140.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,348 €1,199

5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,441 €3,061

100.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,867 €2,550

-57.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,670 €1,485

-48.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.9

197.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Pawl Il-bahar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

San Pawl Il-bahar

$848 50% 6.8% $54

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

San Pawl Il-bahar

$256 15.1% 27.4% $97

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

San Pawl Il-bahar

$273 16.1% 29.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

San Pawl Il-bahar

$119 7% 35.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Pawl Il-bahar

$103 6.1% 14.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

San Pawl Il-bahar

$70 4.1% 20.4% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

San Pawl Il-bahar

$28 * 1.6% 68.3% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $981 in San Pawl Il-bahar. 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 93% higher in San Pawl Il-bahar, 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 $82.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $256 in San Pawl Il-bahar – so San Pawl Il-bahar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇹 San Pawl Il-bahar

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

18:41 6:41 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

21,046

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 San Pawl Il-bahar 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
San Pawl Il-bahar

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 San Pawl Il-bahar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,697 in San Pawl Il-bahar – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,545 in San Pawl Il-bahar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pawl Il-bahar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $82.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in San Pawl Il-bahar, where all-in costs run around $1,697, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Pawl Il-bahar 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 $1,697 in San Pawl Il-bahar to $1,839 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 San Pawl Il-bahar. 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.