Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Valletta

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,260 in Valletta, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Valletta
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,260
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Valletta

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,260 in Valletta, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Valletta $2,260

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,486 in Valletta, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Valletta $3,486

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,711 in Valletta, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Valletta $4,711

Nosara is about 19% cheaper than Valletta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Valletta sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Valletta by 69%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$22.88 €20.42
-46.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$89.6 €80.0
-32.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
$13.64 €12.18
-44.72%
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
$3.17 €2.83
35.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$2.34 €2.09
-26.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$1.99 €1.78
-32.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$5.52 €4.92
-41.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$6.89 €6.15
-34.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$1.37 €1.22
14.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$1.43 €1.27
121.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$3.48 €3.10
-30.46%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$4.33 €3.86
-17.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$10.41 €9.29
-28.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$12.06 €10.76
-13.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$17.93 €16.00
-23.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$3.70 €3.30
-37.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$2.67 €2.38
-39.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$3.87 €3.45
22.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$3.75 €3.35
-55.73%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$1.88 €1.68
97.87%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$3.28 €2.93
8.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$2.29 €2.04
-51.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$1.51 €1.35
68.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$6.35 €5.67
-22.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$5.86 €5.23
241.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$2.38 €2.13
17.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$2.40 €2.14
47.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
$2.88 €2.57
-58.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
$3.88 €3.46
-42.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
$1.85 €1.65
-16.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
$32.52 €29.02
-72.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.47 €1.32
6.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
$28.3K €25.2K
-22.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$39.1K €34.9K
-11.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
$154 €138
-39.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
$31.14 €27.79
12.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
$29.25 €26.10
76.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
$59.9 €53.4
19.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
$20.39 €18.19
73.81%
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
$11.35 €10.13
-30.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
$276 €246
77.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$12.3K €11.0K
-3.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
$57.1 €50.9
-6.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
$69.6 €62.2
-19.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
$112 €100
-29.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
$130 €116
-39.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
$1,432 €1,278
-45.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
$1,096 €978
-28.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
$3,321 €2,964
16.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
$2,052 €1,831
-31.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
$5,252 €4,687
32.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
$3,997 €3,567
-69.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Valletta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
$2,012 €1,796
-56.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.05
112.84%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Valletta: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Valletta
$1.1K 40.5% $316
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Valletta
$341 2.4% $8.3
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Valletta
$321 53.1% $111
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Valletta
$215 19.2% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Valletta
$166 38.1% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Valletta
$83 5.2% $4.5
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Valletta
$25 * 71.6% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,432 in Valletta. 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 130% higher in Valletta, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $90.0 in Valletta. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $341 in Valletta – so Valletta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇲🇹 Valletta
🕒 Local time
04:27 4:27 AM
12:27 12:27 PM
8 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
5,700 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Valletta 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Valletta

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 Valletta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Valletta compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $2,260 in Valletta – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Valletta?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $3,390 in Valletta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Valletta?
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 $60.0 in Nosara and $90.0 in Valletta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Valletta – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
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 $1,837, than in Valletta at $2,260. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Valletta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Valletta?
It depends on your priorities. Valletta has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,260 in Valletta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Valletta 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 Valletta?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Valletta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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