Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijswijk and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,594 in Rijswijk, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rijswijk
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,594
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,594 per month in Rijswijk vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rijswijk $2,594
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,483 per month in Rijswijk vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rijswijk $3,483
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,371 per month in Rijswijk vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rijswijk $4,371
  • Nosara $3,818

Rijswijk costs about 41% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rijswijk and Nosara sit above the global median – Rijswijk by 92%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.18 €19.73
$12.35 ₡5,539
79.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.6 €68.1
$61.2 ₡27.4K
25.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.77 €7.80
$7.52 ₡3,373
16.62%
Cappuccino
$3.55 €3.16
$4.41 ₡1,978
-19.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.92
$1.74 ₡780
89.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 €2.79
$1.31 ₡587
139.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 €6.10
$3.28 ₡1,471
109.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.01 €5.35
$4.47 ₡2,004
34.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.56 ₡701
-16.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.65 €1.47
$3.02 ₡1,355
-45.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.51 ₡1,125
-16.73%
Eggs
$3.95 €3.52
$3.57 ₡1,603
10.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.52 €12.03
$7.43 ₡3,333
81.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.18 €9.95
$10.52 ₡4,717
6.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.71 €14.86
$13.97 ₡6,265
19.61%
Apples (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.35 ₡1,052
-15.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.61 ₡720
23.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$4.80 ₡2,152
-57.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.61 ₡724
40.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 €1.11
$3.80 ₡1,703
-67.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 €1.14
$3.69 ₡1,657
-65.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 €1.00
$1.13 ₡507
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$2.66 ₡1,191
-64.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.42 €11.93
$5.18 ₡2,321
159.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.54 €4.93
$19.88 ₡8,916
-72.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.20
$2.90 ₡1,300
-53.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 €1.56
$3.63 ₡1,626
-51.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.09 €4.52
$1.12 ₡504
354.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.8 €64.8
$72.6 ₡32.6K
0.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.69 €4.17
$2.14 ₡958
119.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.45 €3.07
$1.57 ₡703
119.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.16 €29.49
$8.52 ₡3,823
289.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.47 €2.19
$1.52 ₡682
62.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.2K €36.7K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
90.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
11.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$281 €250
$96.3 ₡43.2K
191.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.27 €17.14
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-46.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.88 €44.37
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-6.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.09 €36.55
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-42.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.78 €12.26
$7.89 ₡3,539
74.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,414 €2,148
$494 ₡221.6K
388.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.4K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-1.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.1 €85.5
$53.9 ₡24.2K
78.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.35 €37.67
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-23.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$77.9 ₡34.9K
34.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 €120
$79.6 ₡35.7K
69.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,422 €1,265
$788 ₡353.4K
80.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 €1,145
$794 ₡356.2K
62.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,507 €1,341
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-61.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,541 €1,371
$1,419 ₡636.5K
8.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rijswijk
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,777 €3,359
$864 ₡387.3K
337.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
8.62
-60.56%

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

Last update for Rijswijk: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rijswijk
$1.3K
Nosara
$794 38.3% $493
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rijswijk
$350
Nosara
$186 46.9% $164
Eating Out
Rijswijk
$318
Nosara
$212 33.5% $107
Groceries & Markets
Rijswijk
$285
Nosara
$352 23.6% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Rijswijk
$170
Nosara
$120 29.4% $50
Getting Around
Rijswijk
$115
Nosara
$87 24.3% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Rijswijk
$69
Nosara
$87 27.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,422 in Rijswijk 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 337% higher in Rijswijk, 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 $77.0 in Rijswijk versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $285 in Rijswijk vs $352 in Nosara – so Rijswijk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Rijswijk
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
04:26 4:26 AM
20:26 8:26 PM
8 h behind Rijswijk
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
51,027
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Rijswijk Nosara 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rijswijk
  • 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
Rijswijk vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rijswijk and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,594 in Rijswijk, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Rijswijk compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,892 per month in Rijswijk 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 Rijswijk and Nosara?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Rijswijk and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 0% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rijswijk and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $2,414 per month in Rijswijk 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 $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Rijswijk at $2,594. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rijswijk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Rijswijk and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,594 in Rijswijk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Rijswijk 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 Rijswijk and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rijswijk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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