Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samos and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Samos: $1,411 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Samos
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Samos Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Samos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,411

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,411 per month in Samos vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Samos $1,411
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,081 per month in Samos vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Samos $2,081
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,751 per month in Samos vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Samos $2,751
Nosara $3,814

Samos is about 23% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Samos and Nosara sit above the global median – Samos by 4%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 €9.90

$12.34 ₡5,535

-9.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.72 €35.33

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-35.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 €6.11

$7.76 ₡3,481

-11.47%

Cappuccino

$3.02 €2.68

$4.44 ₡1,992

-31.98%

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

$2.36 €2.10

$1.79 ₡803

31.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$1.29 ₡580

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.13 €3.67

$3.24 ₡1,451

27.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 €5.74

$4.43 ₡1,985

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.55 ₡696

-1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$3.08 ₡1,380

-55.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.53 ₡1,133

3.16%

Eggs

$4.56 €4.06

$3.45 ₡1,546

32.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 €11.78

$7.32 ₡3,284

80.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.59

$10.24 ₡4,594

-5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 €12.59

$14.10 ₡6,326

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.29 ₡1,027

-5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.64 ₡737

22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 €1.27

$4.79 ₡2,149

-70.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.64 ₡735

18.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.03

$3.85 ₡1,727

-69.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$3.75 ₡1,681

-69.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.09 ₡488

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$2.59 ₡1,160

-67.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 €4.77

$5.12 ₡2,295

4.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.02

$19.92 ₡8,931

-66.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.80 ₡1,255

-26.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$3.52 ₡1,580

-25.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.21

$1.22 ₡549

12.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.20 €39.32

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-40.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.83

$2.17 ₡973

98.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.56 ₡698

-30.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.66

$8.67 ₡3,886

90.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.55 ₡697

38.71%

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

$28.1K €25.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.65%

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

$25.3K €22.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.78%

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

$207 €184

$94.8 ₡42.5K

118.68%

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

$23.54 €20.94

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-34.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €27.31

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-42.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €45.61

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-30.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 €22.57

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-28.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 €7.96

$7.91 ₡3,548

13.02%

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

$429 €382

$490 ₡219.9K

-12.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,664 €6,817

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-35.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 €80.0

$54.8 ₡24.6K

64.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 €35.59

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-28.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €77.1

$80.4 ₡36.0K

7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$77.9 ₡34.9K

55.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 €428

$801 ₡359.1K

-39.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 €356

$790 ₡354.1K

-49.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-81.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 €544

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-56.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,683 €2,387

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-62.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,181 €1,940

$1,236 ₡554.3K

76.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$990 €881

$887 ₡397.6K

11.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

8.62

-48.26%

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

Last update for Samos: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samos

$400 28.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 97.2% $389

Groceries & Markets

Samos

$276 19.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 26.7% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samos

$262 18.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 29.6% $78

Eating Out

Samos

$192 13.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 10.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Samos

$152 10.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 20.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Samos

$69 4.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29.6% $20

Getting Around

Samos

$59 4.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 49.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Samos 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 12% higher in Samos, 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 $40.00 in Samos versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $350 – making Samos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Samos

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

15:44 3:44 PM

9 h behind Samos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,814

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

Samos Nosara 11,240 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Samos
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

Samos vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,411 in Samos, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,117 per month in Samos 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 Samos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Samos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $429 per month in Samos and $490 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 Samos, where all-in costs run around $1,411, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Samos 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 $1,411 in Samos 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 Samos. 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.