Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shannon and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,251 in Shannon, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Shannon
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,251
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,251 per month in Shannon vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Shannon $2,251
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,526 per month in Shannon vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Shannon $3,526
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,801 per month in Shannon vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Shannon $4,801
  • Nosara $3,818

Shannon costs about 22% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shannon and Nosara sit above the global median – Shannon by 67%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.89 €17.69
$12.35 ₡5,539
61.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.6 €87.7
$61.2 ₡27.4K
61.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.10
$7.52 ₡3,373
80.98%
Cappuccino
$4.69 €4.17
$4.41 ₡1,978
6.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 €2.54
$1.74 ₡780
64.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.31 ₡587
72.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.18 €6.39
$3.28 ₡1,471
118.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 €6.04
$4.47 ₡2,004
51.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.51
$1.56 ₡701
8.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.82 €1.62
$3.02 ₡1,355
-39.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.51 ₡1,125
-21.51%
Eggs
$4.85 €4.31
$3.57 ₡1,603
35.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.15 €9.03
$7.43 ₡3,333
36.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$10.52 ₡4,717
22.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.15 €12.59
$13.97 ₡6,265
1.29%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.35 ₡1,052
40.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.61 ₡720
47.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.32 €2.95
$4.80 ₡2,152
-30.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.44 €3.95
$1.61 ₡724
175.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.80 ₡1,703
-51.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.69 ₡1,657
-40.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.13 ₡507
13.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 €1.95
$2.66 ₡1,191
-17.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.52 €18.25
$5.18 ₡2,321
296.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.64 €12.13
$19.88 ₡8,916
-31.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.41 €3.03
$2.90 ₡1,300
17.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 €3.40
$3.63 ₡1,626
5.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.68 €2.38
$1.12 ₡504
139.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.19 €4.61
$2.14 ₡958
142.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.57 ₡703
-3.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.93 €33.74
$8.52 ₡3,823
345.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.52 ₡682
37.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
78.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K €34.5K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
12.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$273 €243
$96.3 ₡43.2K
183.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.03 €18.70
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-41.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.31 €41.19
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-13.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.78 €36.27
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-43.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$44.17 €39.29
$34.91 ₡15.7K
26.53%
Cinema Ticket
$11.28 €10.04
$7.89 ₡3,539
42.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,024 €911
$494 ₡221.6K
107.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,214 €1,969
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-81.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.9 €76.4
$53.9 ₡24.2K
59.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.16 €32.16
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-34.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €90.5
$77.9 ₡34.9K
30.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.6 €85.0
$79.6 ₡35.7K
20.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 €1,053
$788 ₡353.4K
50.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$995 €885
$794 ₡356.2K
25.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 €1,811
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-48.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 €1,714
$1,419 ₡636.5K
35.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,945 €2,619
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-57.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,069 €2,729
$1,224 ₡549.0K
150.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shannon
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,184 €2,832
$864 ₡387.3K
268.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
8.62
-55.68%

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

Last update for Shannon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Shannon
$995
Nosara
$794 20.2% $201
Groceries & Markets
Shannon
$360
Nosara
$352 2% $7.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shannon
$340
Nosara
$186 45.4% $154
Eating Out
Shannon
$326
Nosara
$212 35.1% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Shannon
$144
Nosara
$120 16.4% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Shannon
$63
Nosara
$87 37.9% $24
Getting Around
Shannon
$24 *
Nosara
$87 271% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,184 in Shannon 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 269% higher in Shannon, 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 $99.0 in Shannon versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Shannon
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:28 8:28 AM
01:28 1:28 AM
7 h behind Shannon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,256
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Shannon Nosara 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Shannon
  • 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
Shannon vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Shannon and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,251 in Shannon, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Shannon compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,377 per month in Shannon 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 Shannon 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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Shannon and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 2% more in Shannon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
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 Shannon at $2,251. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shannon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Shannon and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,251 in Shannon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Shannon 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 Shannon and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shannon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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