Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novara and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Novara: $1,475 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Novara
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,475
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novara and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Novara and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,475 per month in Novara vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Novara $1,475
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Novara vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Novara $2,279
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,083 per month in Novara vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Novara $3,083
  • Nosara $3,818

Novara is about 20% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Novara and Nosara sit above the global median – Novara by 9%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Novara
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 €14.73
$12.35 ₡5,539
34.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.2 €49.09
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-9.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.24 €9.11
$7.52 ₡3,373
36.17%
Cappuccino
$1.75 €1.56
$4.41 ₡1,978
-60.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 €2.95
$1.74 ₡780
90.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.31 ₡587
25.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.72 €5.09
$3.28 ₡1,471
74.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 €4.60
$4.47 ₡2,004
15.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Novara
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.56 ₡701
-10.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 €1.74
$3.02 ₡1,355
-35.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.87 €2.55
$2.51 ₡1,125
14.34%
Eggs
$3.19 €2.84
$3.57 ₡1,603
-10.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 €9.87
$7.43 ₡3,333
49.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.87 €7.89
$10.52 ₡4,717
-15.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.44 €11.95
$13.97 ₡6,265
-3.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$2.35 ₡1,052
5.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.61 ₡720
5.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 €2.91
$4.80 ₡2,152
-31.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.61 ₡724
32.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$3.80 ₡1,703
-48.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 €0.95
$3.69 ₡1,657
-71.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 €0.91
$1.13 ₡507
-9.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$2.66 ₡1,191
-73.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.19 €5.51
$5.18 ₡2,321
19.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 €5.07
$19.88 ₡8,916
-71.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.67
$2.90 ₡1,300
-35.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 €1.99
$3.63 ₡1,626
-38.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Novara
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.47
$1.12 ₡504
48.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.99 €33.79
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-47.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.94
$2.14 ₡958
107.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 €1.06
$1.57 ₡703
-23.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.60 €30.78
$8.52 ₡3,823
306.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.52 ₡682
32.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K €24.5K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
27.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K €28.9K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-5.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Novara
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 €156
$96.3 ₡43.2K
82.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.37 €9.23
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-71.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.75 €26.47
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-44.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Novara
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.0 €69.3
$71.6 ₡32.1K
8.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.88 €16.79
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-45.92%
Cinema Ticket
$11.38 €10.12
$7.89 ₡3,539
44.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Novara
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$500 €445
$494 ₡221.6K
1.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,957 €8,856
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-16.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Novara
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$125 €112
$53.9 ₡24.2K
132.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.17 €29.51
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-40.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.8 €49.61
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-28.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$142 €126
$79.6 ₡35.7K
78.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Novara
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$638 €568
$788 ₡353.4K
-19.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$433 €385
$794 ₡356.2K
-45.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,063 €945
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-73.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$777 €691
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-45.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,806 €2,496
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-59.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,923 €1,711
$1,224 ₡549.0K
57.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Novara
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,090 €1,859
$864 ₡387.3K
141.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.62
8.62
-58.00%

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

Last update for Novara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Novara
$433
Nosara
$794 83.5% $361
Groceries & Markets
Novara
$268
Nosara
$352 31.5% $84
Eating Out
Novara
$243
Nosara
$212 12.8% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Novara
$216
Nosara
$186 13.9% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Novara
$160
Nosara
$120 25.1% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Novara
$101
Nosara
$87 13.2% $13
Getting Around
Novara
$55
Nosara
$87 58.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $638 in Novara versus $788 in Nosara. 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 142% higher in Novara, 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 $55.0 in Novara versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $352 – making Novara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Novara
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
06:45 6:45 AM
22:45 10:45 PM
8 h behind Novara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,910
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Novara Nosara 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Novara
  • Nosara

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
Novara vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Novara and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,475 in Novara, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Novara compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,213 per month in Novara and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Novara and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Novara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Novara and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 91% less in Novara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Novara and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $500 per month in Novara and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Novara, where all-in costs run around $1,475, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Novara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Novara and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,475 in Novara to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Novara or Nosara 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 Novara and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Novara. 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.

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