Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roquetas de Mar and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Roquetas de Mar: $1,444 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Roquetas de Mar
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Roquetas de Mar Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Roquetas de Mar

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,444

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,444 per month in Roquetas de Mar vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Roquetas de Mar $1,444
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Roquetas de Mar vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Roquetas de Mar $2,082
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,720 per month in Roquetas de Mar vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Roquetas de Mar $2,720
Nosara $3,818

Roquetas de Mar is about 21% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Roquetas de Mar and Nosara sit above the global median – Roquetas de Mar by 7%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.63 €14.80

$12.35 ₡5,539

34.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 €49.40

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-9.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 €9.47

$7.52 ₡3,373

41.62%

Cappuccino

$2.06 €1.83

$4.41 ₡1,978

-53.29%

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

$2.77 €2.47

$1.74 ₡780

59.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.31 ₡587

29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 €3.77

$3.28 ₡1,471

29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.88

$4.47 ₡2,004

-2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.56 ₡701

-18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 €1.46

$3.02 ₡1,355

-45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$2.51 ₡1,125

-27.09%

Eggs

$3.47 €3.09

$3.57 ₡1,603

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.93 €14.17

$7.43 ₡3,333

114.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 €8.02

$10.52 ₡4,717

-14.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 €11.68

$13.97 ₡6,265

-6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.35 ₡1,052

11.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.61 ₡720

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$4.80 ₡2,152

-68.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.61 ₡724

42.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.80 ₡1,703

-51.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.13 ₡507

20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$2.66 ₡1,191

-73.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.41

$5.18 ₡2,321

17.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$19.88 ₡8,916

-72.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$2.90 ₡1,300

-60.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.63 ₡1,626

-53.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 €0.86

$1.12 ₡504

-13.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.43 €29.73

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-53.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 €7.02

$2.14 ₡958

268.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.57 ₡703

42.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.83 €15.86

$8.52 ₡3,823

109.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.52 ₡682

19.74%

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

$35.2K €31.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

63.10%

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

$29.0K €25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.01%

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

$135 €121

$96.3 ₡43.2K

40.69%

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

$16.03 €14.26

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-55.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.01 €24.03

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.59 €31.66

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-50.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 €7.31

$7.89 ₡3,539

4.18%

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

$383 €341

$494 ₡221.6K

-22.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,514

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-9.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 €64.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

34.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.56 €31.63

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-35.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 €86.0

$77.9 ₡34.9K

24.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$79.6 ₡35.7K

48.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 €505

$788 ₡353.4K

-27.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 €450

$794 ₡356.2K

-36.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 €684

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 €525

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-58.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 €1,805

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,643 €1,461

$1,224 ₡549.0K

34.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,266 €1,127

$864 ₡387.3K

46.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

8.62

-63.11%

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

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: 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

Roquetas de Mar

$506 35.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 57% $288

Groceries & Markets

Roquetas de Mar

$268 18.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 31.5% $84

Eating Out

Roquetas de Mar

$238 16.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 10.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roquetas de Mar

$179 12.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 4.1% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Roquetas de Mar

$146 10.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.5% $25

Getting Around

Roquetas de Mar

$56 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 54.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Roquetas de Mar

$52 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 67.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $568 in Roquetas de Mar 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 47% higher in Roquetas de Mar, 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 $56.0 in Roquetas de Mar versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $352 – making Roquetas de Mar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Roquetas de Mar

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:38 9:38 AM

01:38 1:38 AM

8 h behind Roquetas de Mar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,510

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 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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Roquetas de Mar Nosara 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Roquetas de Mar
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

Roquetas de Mar vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,444 in Roquetas de Mar, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,166 per month in Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 117% less in Roquetas de Mar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $383 per month in Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar, where all-in costs run around $1,444, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Roquetas de Mar 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 $1,444 in Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar. 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.