Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Shannon

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,251 in Shannon, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Shannon
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,251
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Shannon

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,251 in Shannon, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Shannon $2,251

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,526 in Shannon, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Shannon $3,526

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,801 in Shannon, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Shannon $4,801

Nosara is about 18% cheaper than Shannon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Shannon sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Shannon by 67%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$19.89 €17.69
-37.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$98.6 €87.7
-37.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$13.61 €12.10
-44.75%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$4.69 €4.17
-5.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.86 €2.54
-39.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$2.26 €2.01
-42.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$7.18 €6.39
-54.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$6.79 €6.04
-34.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.70 €1.51
-8.24%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.82 €1.62
65.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.97 €1.75
27.41%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$4.85 €4.31
-26.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$10.15 €9.03
-26.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$12.91 €11.49
-18.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$14.15 €12.59
-1.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$3.30 €2.94
-28.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$2.38 €2.12
-32.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$3.32 €2.95
44.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$4.44 €3.95
-63.74%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.86 €1.66
104.30%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$2.20 €1.96
67.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.28 €1.14
-11.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$2.20 €1.95
20.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$20.52 €18.25
-74.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$13.64 €12.13
45.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$3.41 €3.03
-14.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$3.82 €3.40
-4.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$2.68 €2.38
-58.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$5.19 €4.61
-58.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.52 €1.35
3.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$37.93 €33.74
-77.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$2.09 €1.86
-27.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$38.6K €34.3K
-43.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$38.8K €34.5K
-10.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$273 €243
-64.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$21.03 €18.70
70.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$46.31 €41.19
15.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$40.78 €36.27
75.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$44.17 €39.29
-20.96%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$11.28 €10.04
-30.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$1,024 €911
-51.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$2,214 €1,969
435.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$85.9 €76.4
-37.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$36.16 €32.16
53.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$102 €90.5
-23.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$95.6 €85.0
-16.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,184 €1,053
-33.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$995 €885
-20.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$2,036 €1,811
93.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$1,927 €1,714
-26.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$2,945 €2,619
134.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$3,069 €2,729
-60.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Shannon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$3,184 €2,832
-72.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
3.82
125.65%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shannon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Shannon
$995 25.3% $201
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Shannon
$360 2.1% $7.4
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Shannon
$326 54% $114
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Shannon
$340 83% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Shannon
$144 19.7% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Shannon
$63 27.5% $24
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Shannon
$24 * 73% $64

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 $1,184 in Shannon. 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 269% higher in Shannon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $99.0 in Shannon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $360 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇮🇪 Shannon
🕒 Local time
02:38 2:38 AM
09:38 9:38 AM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
10,256
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 505 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Shannon 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Shannon

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 Shannon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Shannon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,251 in Shannon – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Shannon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,377 in Shannon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Shannon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $99.0 in Shannon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 2% more in Shannon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Shannon at $2,251. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shannon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Shannon?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,251 in Shannon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Shannon 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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Shannon?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shannon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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