Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plasencia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Plasencia: $1,519 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Plasencia
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Plasencia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Plasencia

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,519

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plasencia 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 Plasencia and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,519 per month in Plasencia vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Plasencia $1,519
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Plasencia vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Plasencia $2,284
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,048 per month in Plasencia vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Plasencia $3,048
Nosara $3,814

Plasencia is about 17% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Plasencia and Nosara sit above the global median – Plasencia by 12%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.27 €11.80

$12.34 ₡5,535

7.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 €59.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

9.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 €7.87

$7.76 ₡3,481

14.05%

Cappuccino

$1.86 €1.65

$4.44 ₡1,992

-58.11%

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

$2.03 €1.80

$1.79 ₡803

13.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.29 ₡580

20.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 €2.70

$3.24 ₡1,451

-6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$4.43 ₡1,985

-25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.55 ₡696

-25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.48

$3.08 ₡1,380

-46.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$2.53 ₡1,133

-39.92%

Eggs

$3.39 €3.01

$3.45 ₡1,546

-1.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €12.02

$7.32 ₡3,284

84.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 €7.33

$10.24 ₡4,594

-19.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.04 €14.27

$14.10 ₡6,326

13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.29 ₡1,027

5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.64 ₡737

21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$4.79 ₡2,149

-62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$1.64 ₡735

59.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$3.85 ₡1,727

-53.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.75 ₡1,681

-44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.09 ₡488

37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.65

$2.59 ₡1,160

-71.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 €5.87

$5.12 ₡2,295

28.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.27

$19.92 ₡8,931

-70.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.80 ₡1,255

-59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$3.52 ₡1,580

-46.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.22 ₡549

13.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.14 €27.70

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-57.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.17 ₡973

-20.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.56 ₡698

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 €13.09

$8.67 ₡3,886

69.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.55 ₡697

14.19%

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

$32.1K €28.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.22%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-20.88%

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

$118 €105

$94.8 ₡42.5K

24.78%

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

$16.42 €14.60

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-54.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.18 €28.63

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-39.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.86 €43.46

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-33.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 €13.61

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-57.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 €7.13

$7.91 ₡3,548

1.39%

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

$542 €482

$490 ₡219.9K

10.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,047 €7,158

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-32.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €79.6

$54.8 ₡24.6K

63.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 €35.35

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-28.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €83.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$77.9 ₡34.9K

44.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €907

$801 ₡359.1K

27.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 €563

$790 ₡354.1K

-19.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 €1,254

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-64.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €830

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-33.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,177 €2,826

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-55.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 €1,670

$1,236 ₡554.3K

51.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 €1,191

$887 ₡397.6K

50.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

8.62

-61.25%

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

Last update for Plasencia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plasencia

$633 41.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 24.7% $156

Groceries & Markets

Plasencia

$268 17.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 30.7% $82

Eating Out

Plasencia

$191 12.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 11.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plasencia

$167 11%

Nosara

$184 10% 10.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Plasencia

$151 9.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 19.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Plasencia

$65 4.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 38.1% $25

Getting Around

Plasencia

$44 2.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 102% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,020 in Plasencia versus $801 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 51% higher in Plasencia, 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 $67.0 in Plasencia versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Plasencia vs $350 in Nosara – so Plasencia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Plasencia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

16:38 4:38 PM

8 h behind Plasencia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,412

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Plasencia Nosara 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Plasencia
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

Plasencia vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,519 in Plasencia, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,278 per month in Plasencia and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 137% less in Plasencia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $542 per month in Plasencia and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Plasencia, where all-in costs run around $1,519, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Plasencia 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 $1,519 in Plasencia to $1,835 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 Plasencia. 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.