Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ponta Delgada and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ponta Delgada: $1,689 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Ponta Delgada
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Ponta Delgada Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Ponta Delgada

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,689

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,689 per month in Ponta Delgada vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Ponta Delgada $1,689
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,391 per month in Ponta Delgada vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Ponta Delgada $2,391
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,092 per month in Ponta Delgada vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Ponta Delgada $3,092
Nosara $3,712

Ponta Delgada is about 8% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ponta Delgada and Nosara sit above the global median – Ponta Delgada by 26%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.61 €12.14

$12.22 ₡5,509

11.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.22 €40.35

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-24.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 €9.69

$7.54 ₡3,399

43.90%

Cappuccino

$1.81 €1.62

$4.31 ₡1,941

-58.00%

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

$1.80 €1.61

$1.72 ₡773

4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.35 ₡608

38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 €2.83

$3.24 ₡1,459

-2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.34

$4.48 ₡2,018

-16.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 €0.89

$1.57 ₡707

-36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.44

$3.17 ₡1,429

-49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.42 ₡1,091

-28.51%

Eggs

$3.00 €2.67

$3.57 ₡1,609

-15.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.81 €15.00

$7.43 ₡3,349

126.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 €10.34

$10.42 ₡4,697

11.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 €14.82

$13.66 ₡6,156

21.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.32 ₡1,044

5.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.61 ₡728

7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$4.74 ₡2,138

-53.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 €2.76

$1.66 ₡747

86.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$3.72 ₡1,679

-58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$3.57 ₡1,611

-53.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 €2.56

$1.10 ₡497

160.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.91

$2.55 ₡1,149

-60.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 €4.58

$4.95 ₡2,232

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 €5.24

$20.01 ₡9,020

-70.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.17

$2.79 ₡1,256

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.85

$3.53 ₡1,589

-9.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.19 ₡537

44.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 €50.4

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-21.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €5.13

$2.24 ₡1,011

156.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.55 ₡701

-12.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 €4.99

$8.86 ₡3,993

-36.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.57 ₡708

33.12%

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

$33.9K €30.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

55.27%

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

$40.6K €36.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

17.33%

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

$145 €129

$93.5 ₡42.1K

55.05%

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

$18.87 €16.84

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-46.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.04 €38.41

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 €29.41

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-53.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.89 €17.75

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-43.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.49 €8.47

$7.84 ₡3,535

21.05%

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

$279 €249

$490 ₡220.7K

-42.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,699 €5,978

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-43.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.95 €42.79

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.41 €29.81

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-40.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 €59.3

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-16.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €119

$78.9 ₡35.6K

69.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,071

$786 ₡354.3K

52.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 €622

$780 ₡351.6K

-10.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 €1,248

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-63.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 €859

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-31.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,972 €3,544

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-43.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,992 €2,670

$1,201 ₡541.3K

149.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 €1,250

$876 ₡395.0K

59.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

8.62

-56.96%

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

Last update for Ponta Delgada: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ponta Delgada

$697 41.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 11.8% $82

Groceries & Markets

Ponta Delgada

$312 18.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 12.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ponta Delgada

$207 12.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 12.9% $27

Eating Out

Ponta Delgada

$201 12%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 4.1% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Ponta Delgada

$127 7.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 4.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Ponta Delgada

$76 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 14.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ponta Delgada

$52 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 67.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,200 in Ponta Delgada versus $786 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 60% higher in Ponta Delgada, 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 $45.00 in Ponta Delgada versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $350 – making Ponta Delgada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Ponta Delgada

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

6 h behind Ponta Delgada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,233

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ponta Delgada Nosara 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ponta Delgada
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

Ponta Delgada vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,689 in Ponta Delgada, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,534 per month in Ponta Delgada and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 28% less in Ponta Delgada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Ponta Delgada 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 Ponta Delgada, where all-in costs run around $1,689, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Ponta Delgada 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 $1,689 in Ponta Delgada to $1,837 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 Ponta Delgada. 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.