Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Rafti and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Rafti: $1,315 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Porto Rafti
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Porto Rafti Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Porto Rafti

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,315

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,315 per month in Porto Rafti vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Porto Rafti $1,315
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,018 per month in Porto Rafti vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Porto Rafti $2,018
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Porto Rafti vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Porto Rafti $2,720
Nosara $3,818

Porto Rafti is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Porto Rafti sits 3% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.78

$12.35 ₡5,547

-11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €52.4

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-3.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 €7.92

$7.52 ₡3,377

18.09%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.70

$4.41 ₡1,981

-5.90%

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

$2.30 €2.05

$1.74 ₡781

32.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.52

$1.31 ₡588

-55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 €4.06

$3.28 ₡1,473

38.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 €4.59

$4.47 ₡2,007

15.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.56 ₡702

-1.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 €0.98

$3.02 ₡1,357

-63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$2.51 ₡1,127

-9.56%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$3.57 ₡1,605

33.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 €10.24

$7.43 ₡3,338

54.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 €8.41

$10.52 ₡4,724

-10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 €12.16

$13.97 ₡6,274

-2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.35 ₡1,054

-5.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.61 ₡721

34.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 €1.48

$4.80 ₡2,155

-65.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.61 ₡725

18.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €1.03

$3.80 ₡1,706

-69.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.69 ₡1,659

-70.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 €0.82

$1.13 ₡507

-18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$2.66 ₡1,193

-79.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 €4.53

$5.18 ₡2,324

-1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 €6.13

$19.88 ₡8,929

-65.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.90 ₡1,302

-43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.63 ₡1,628

-37.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.12 ₡505

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.89 €40.02

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-38.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 €4.07

$2.14 ₡959

113.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.57 ₡704

-30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.75 €12.26

$8.52 ₡3,828

61.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.52 ₡683

29.61%

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

$27.7K €24.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

28.19%

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

$23.2K €20.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-32.76%

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

$148 €132

$96.3 ₡43.2K

53.40%

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

$22.16 €19.76

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-38.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.34 €24.38

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-48.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €45.39

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-28.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.21 €22.48

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-27.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 €8.00

$7.89 ₡3,544

13.81%

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

$479 €427

$494 ₡221.9K

-3.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,538 €4,046

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-61.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 €62.6

$53.9 ₡24.2K

30.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.31 €25.24

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-48.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 €66.9

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.5

$79.6 ₡35.8K

34.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 €428

$788 ₡353.9K

-39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 €352

$794 ₡356.7K

-50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €662

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 €544

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-57.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 €4,203

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-31.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,180 €1,944

$1,224 ₡549.8K

78.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$841 €750

$864 ₡387.8K

-2.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.36

8.62

-49.42%

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

Last update for Porto Rafti: 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

Porto Rafti

$395 30%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 101% $400

Groceries & Markets

Porto Rafti

$260 19.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 35.7% $93

Eating Out

Porto Rafti

$209 15.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 1.5% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porto Rafti

$197 15%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 5.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Porto Rafti

$126 9.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.9% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Porto Rafti

$69 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26.9% $19

Getting Around

Porto Rafti

$60 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 44.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $480 in Porto Rafti 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 3% higher in Nosara, 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 $59.0 in Porto Rafti versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $352 – making Porto Rafti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Porto Rafti

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

04:58 4:58 AM

9 h behind Porto Rafti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,526

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 = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Porto Rafti Nosara 11,000 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Porto Rafti
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

Porto Rafti vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,315 in Porto Rafti, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,973 per month in Porto Rafti and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 62% less in Porto Rafti. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $479 per month in Porto Rafti and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Porto Rafti, where all-in costs run around $1,315, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Porto Rafti 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 $1,315 in Porto Rafti to $1,839 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 Porto Rafti. 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.