Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sao Joao da Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira: $1,510 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Sao Joao da Madeira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,107 in Sao Joao da Madeira, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,704 in Sao Joao da Madeira, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704

Nosara costs about 22% more than Sao Joao da Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Sao Joao da Madeira sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Sao Joao da Madeira by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.06 €8.95

22.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$19.79 €17.60

209.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.85 €6.98

-4.20%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.14 €1.01

286.84%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.09 €0.97

59.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.97 €0.87

35.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.32 €2.95

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.17 €1.93

105.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.85 €0.75

83.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.32 €0.28

843.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.14 €1.01

120.18%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.68 €2.39

33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.58 €7.63

-13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.52 €4.91

90.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.51 €5.79

114.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.03 €1.81

15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.35 €1.20

19.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.83 €1.63

162.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.85 €2.54

-43.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.97 €1.75

92.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.88 €1.67

96.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.24 €1.10

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.98 €0.87

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.28 €5.59

-17.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.53 €4.02

338.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.21 €1.07

139.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.63 €1.45

122.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.24 €1.99

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$39.68 €35.29

83.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.33 €3.85

-50.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.78 €1.58

-11.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$16.67 €14.83

-48.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.90 €1.69

-20.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.1K €29.4K

-34.67%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$37.7K €33.5K

-8.34%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$110 €97.7

-12.32%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.96 €15.08

111.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$46.09 €40.99

16.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.59 €33.44

90.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.09 €13.42

131.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.44 €4.84

45.04%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$341 €303

44.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.0K €8,931

18.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$65.5 €58.3

-17.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.57 €33.42

47.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$82.7 €73.5

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$98.5 €87.6

-19.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$957 €851

-17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$768 €683

3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,517 €1,349

159.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,164 €1,035

21.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,957 €2,630

133.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,267 €2,017

-46.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,048 €932

-17.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.55

142.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8% 3.3% $26

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2% 47.7% $168

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7% 30.7% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5% 6.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5% 6.5% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2% 44.5% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1% 29% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. 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 21% higher in Sao Joao da Madeira, 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 $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $184 – making Sao Joao da Madeira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

22,144

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sao Joao da Madeira 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Sao Joao da Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,265 in Sao Joao da Madeira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 83% less in Sao Joao da Madeira. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $341 in Sao Joao da Madeira. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Joao da Madeira, where all-in costs run around $1,510, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Joao da Madeira 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 $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Sao Joao da Madeira. 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.