Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santarem and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santarem: $1,300 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Santarem
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Santarem Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santarem

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,300

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,300 per month in Santarem vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Santarem $1,300
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,014 per month in Santarem vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Santarem $2,014
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,729 per month in Santarem vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Santarem $2,729
Nosara $3,818

Santarem is about 29% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santarem sits 4% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 €10.94

$12.35 ₡5,539

-0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.39 €35.04

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-35.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 €8.00

$7.52 ₡3,373

19.55%

Cappuccino

$1.71 €1.52

$4.41 ₡1,978

-61.22%

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

$1.78 €1.59

$1.74 ₡780

2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.31 ₡587

-12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.28 ₡1,471

-33.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.47 ₡2,004

-24.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.56 ₡701

-26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 €0.41

$3.02 ₡1,355

-84.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.51 ₡1,125

-56.57%

Eggs

$3.27 €2.91

$3.57 ₡1,603

-8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 €9.83

$7.43 ₡3,333

48.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 €6.35

$10.52 ₡4,717

-32.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 €11.93

$13.97 ₡6,265

-3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$2.35 ₡1,052

19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.61 ₡720

-15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$4.80 ₡2,152

-47.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$1.61 ₡724

31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 €1.25

$3.80 ₡1,703

-63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$3.69 ₡1,657

-57.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.97

$1.13 ₡507

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 €0.28

$2.66 ₡1,191

-88.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.18 ₡2,321

8.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.14

$19.88 ₡8,916

-70.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.09

$2.90 ₡1,300

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.17

$3.63 ₡1,626

-1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.12 ₡504

100.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 €50.2

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-22.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 €3.14

$2.14 ₡958

64.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.52 ₡682

34.21%

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

$33.8K €30.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

56.40%

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

$38.4K €34.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

11.15%

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

$130 €116

$96.3 ₡43.2K

35.06%

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

$20.74 €18.45

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-42.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €49.81

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.97 €33.78

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-46.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 €5.91

$7.89 ₡3,539

-15.72%

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

$416 €370

$494 ₡221.6K

-15.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K €16.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

55.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 €69.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

44.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 €33.57

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

37.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$79.6 ₡35.7K

65.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 €584

$788 ₡353.4K

-16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 €366

$794 ₡356.2K

-48.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 €927

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-73.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 €720

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-42.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,167 €1,927

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 €981

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-9.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,068 €950

$864 ₡387.3K

23.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

8.62

-44.78%

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

Last update for Santarem: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santarem

$412 31.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 92.8% $382

Groceries & Markets

Santarem

$226 17.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 56.2% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santarem

$207 15.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 10.2% $21

Eating Out

Santarem

$175 13.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 20.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Santarem

$160 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 24.9% $40

Getting Around

Santarem

$69 * 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 26.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Santarem

$51 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 70.4% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $656 in Santarem 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 24% higher in Santarem, 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 $39.00 in Santarem versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $352 – making Santarem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Santarem

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

22:03 10:03 PM

7 h behind Santarem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,671

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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Santarem Nosara 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santarem
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

Santarem vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,300 in Santarem, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,949 per month in Santarem 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 Santarem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Santarem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $416 per month in Santarem and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santarem, where all-in costs run around $1,300, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santarem 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 $1,300 in Santarem 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 Santarem. 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.