Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Madeira and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira: $1,510 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,510 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,107 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,704 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704
Nosara $3,818

Sao Joao da Madeira is about 18% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sao Joao da Madeira and Nosara sit above the global median – Sao Joao da Madeira by 12%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 €8.95

$12.35 ₡5,539

-18.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.79 €17.60

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-67.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 €6.98

$7.52 ₡3,373

4.39%

Cappuccino

$1.14 €1.01

$4.41 ₡1,978

-74.15%

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

$1.09 €0.97

$1.74 ₡780

-37.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.87

$1.31 ₡587

-25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 €2.95

$3.28 ₡1,471

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$4.47 ₡2,004

-51.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 €0.75

$1.56 ₡701

-45.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.32 €0.28

$3.02 ₡1,355

-89.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.51 ₡1,125

-54.58%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.39

$3.57 ₡1,603

-24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$7.43 ₡3,333

15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 €4.91

$10.52 ₡4,717

-47.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 €5.79

$13.97 ₡6,265

-53.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.35 ₡1,052

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.61 ₡720

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$4.80 ₡2,152

-61.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$1.61 ₡724

77.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$3.80 ₡1,703

-48.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$3.69 ₡1,657

-49.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.13 ₡507

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.59

$5.18 ₡2,321

21.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 €4.03

$19.88 ₡8,916

-77.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.07

$2.90 ₡1,300

-58.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$3.63 ₡1,626

-55.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.12 ₡504

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.68 €35.29

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-45.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 €3.85

$2.14 ₡958

102.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.57 ₡703

13.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$8.52 ₡3,823

95.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.52 ₡682

25.00%

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

$33.1K €29.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

53.08%

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

$37.7K €33.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

9.10%

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

$110 €97.7

$96.3 ₡43.2K

14.05%

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

$16.96 €15.08

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-52.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 €40.99

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-14.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €33.44

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-47.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 €13.42

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-56.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 €4.84

$7.89 ₡3,539

-31.05%

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

$341 €303

$494 ₡221.6K

-30.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K €8,932

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-15.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 €58.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

21.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 €33.42

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-32.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €73.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 €87.6

$79.6 ₡35.7K

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 €851

$788 ₡353.4K

21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 €683

$794 ₡356.2K

-3.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,349

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-61.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,035

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-18.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,957 €2,631

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-57.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 €2,017

$1,224 ₡549.0K

85.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,048 €932

$864 ₡387.3K

21.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

8.62

-58.82%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: 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

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 3.4% $26

Groceries & Markets

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 91.2% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 7.5% $13

Eating Out

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 44.2% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6.1% $7.8

Getting Around

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 40.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 80.3% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 21% higher in Sao Joao da Madeira, 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 $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $352 – making Sao Joao da Madeira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

17:12 5:12 PM

7 h behind Sao Joao da Madeira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,144

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Sao Joao da Madeira Nosara 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Joao da Madeira
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

Sao Joao da Madeira vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,265 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Sao Joao da Madeira, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 83% less in Sao Joao da Madeira. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Sao Joao da Madeira, where all-in costs run around $1,510, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sao Joao da Madeira 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 $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Sao Joao da Madeira. 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.