Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schiedam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,517 in Schiedam, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Schiedam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,517
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,517 per month in Schiedam vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Schiedam $2,517
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,723 per month in Schiedam vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Schiedam $3,723
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,929 per month in Schiedam vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Schiedam $4,929
  • Nosara $3,818

Schiedam costs about 37% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Schiedam and Nosara sit above the global median – Schiedam by 86%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.72 €17.54
$12.35 ₡5,539
59.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.2 €78.5
$61.2 ₡27.4K
44.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.96 €13.30
$7.52 ₡3,373
98.94%
Cappuccino
$4.11 €3.66
$4.41 ₡1,978
-6.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 €3.09
$1.74 ₡780
100.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 €2.69
$1.31 ₡587
130.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.16 €6.37
$3.28 ₡1,471
118.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.50 €5.78
$4.47 ₡2,004
45.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.56 ₡701
-10.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.15 €1.91
$3.02 ₡1,355
-28.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 €2.09
$2.51 ₡1,125
-6.37%
Eggs
$4.44 €3.95
$3.57 ₡1,603
24.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.50 €12.90
$7.43 ₡3,333
95.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.00 €11.57
$10.52 ₡4,717
23.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.99 €14.22
$13.97 ₡6,265
14.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 €2.38
$2.35 ₡1,052
14.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.61 ₡720
41.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$4.80 ₡2,152
-58.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.71 €4.19
$1.61 ₡724
192.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 €1.16
$3.80 ₡1,703
-65.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 €1.14
$3.69 ₡1,657
-65.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.13 ₡507
3.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.68
$2.66 ₡1,191
-71.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.47 €11.98
$5.18 ₡2,321
160.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.73 €5.10
$19.88 ₡8,916
-71.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.20
$2.90 ₡1,300
-53.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 €1.73
$3.63 ₡1,626
-46.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.12 ₡504
94.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.6 €77.9
$72.6 ₡32.6K
20.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.38 €3.01
$2.14 ₡958
57.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.44 €3.06
$1.57 ₡703
119.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.47 €19.98
$8.52 ₡3,823
163.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.52 ₡682
56.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.4K €36.8K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
91.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K €34.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
13.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$277 €246
$96.3 ₡43.2K
187.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.53 €14.71
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-53.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.9 €48.87
$53.6 ₡24.0K
2.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.61 €24.56
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-61.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.98 €21.33
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-31.31%
Cinema Ticket
$15.36 €13.66
$7.89 ₡3,539
94.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,760 €1,566
$494 ₡221.6K
256.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-2.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$117 €104
$53.9 ₡24.2K
116.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.66 €31.72
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-35.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €100
$77.9 ₡34.9K
44.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 €122
$79.6 ₡35.7K
71.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,628 €1,448
$788 ₡353.4K
106.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,166 €1,037
$794 ₡356.2K
46.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,355 €2,094
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-40.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,930 €1,717
$1,419 ₡636.5K
36.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,639 €5,016
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-18.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,030 €3,584
$1,224 ₡549.0K
229.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Schiedam
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,420 €2,152
$864 ₡387.3K
180.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.8
8.62
-67.52%

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

Last update for Schiedam: 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
Schiedam
$1.2K
Nosara
$794 31.9% $371
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Schiedam
$348
Nosara
$186 46.7% $163
Eating Out
Schiedam
$327
Nosara
$212 35.2% $115
Groceries & Markets
Schiedam
$320
Nosara
$352 10.1% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Schiedam
$181
Nosara
$120 33.6% $61
Getting Around
Schiedam
$117
Nosara
$87 25.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Schiedam
$58
Nosara
$87 49.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Schiedam 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 180% higher in Schiedam, 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 $88.0 in Schiedam versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Schiedam vs $352 in Nosara – so Schiedam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Schiedam
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
06:09 6:09 AM
22:09 10:09 PM
8 h behind Schiedam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
78,730
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
  • Schiedam Nosara 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Schiedam
  • 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
Schiedam vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Schiedam and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,517 in Schiedam, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Schiedam compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,776 per month in Schiedam 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 Schiedam 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 Schiedam and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 21% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Schiedam and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,760 per month in Schiedam 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 Schiedam at $2,517. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Schiedam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Schiedam and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,517 in Schiedam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Schiedam 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 Schiedam and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schiedam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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