Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Silves and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Silves: $1,629 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Silves
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Silves Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Silves

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,629

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,629 per month in Silves vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Silves $1,629
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,393 per month in Silves vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Silves $2,393
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,157 per month in Silves vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Silves $3,157
Nosara $3,818

Silves is about 11% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Silves and Nosara sit above the global median – Silves by 21%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 €12.04

$12.35 ₡5,539

9.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 €41.90

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-23.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 €8.28

$7.52 ₡3,373

23.67%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.71

$4.41 ₡1,978

-56.46%

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

$1.93 €1.72

$1.74 ₡780

10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.31 ₡587

10.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.51

$3.28 ₡1,471

-14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.04

$4.47 ₡2,004

-23.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.56 ₡701

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.30

$3.02 ₡1,355

-51.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$2.51 ₡1,125

-37.45%

Eggs

$3.39 €3.02

$3.57 ₡1,603

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.90 €10.58

$7.43 ₡3,333

60.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 €6.50

$10.52 ₡4,717

-30.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 €12.87

$13.97 ₡6,265

3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.35 ₡1,052

-4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.61 ₡720

-16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$4.80 ₡2,152

-63.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.61 ₡724

59.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.80 ₡1,703

-52.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.13 ₡507

32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$2.66 ₡1,191

-70.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 €5.32

$5.18 ₡2,321

15.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$19.88 ₡8,916

-77.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.09

$2.90 ₡1,300

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.63 ₡1,626

-42.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.12 ₡504

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.98 €37.35

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 €3.38

$2.14 ₡958

77.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.57 ₡703

-26.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.40 €16.36

$8.52 ₡3,823

115.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.52 ₡682

36.18%

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

$33.9K €30.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

56.95%

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

$34.0K €30.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.47%

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

$120 €106

$96.3 ₡43.2K

24.30%

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

$19.84 €17.65

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-44.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.39 €32.36

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-32.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.12 €35.69

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-43.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 €13.07

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-57.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.33 €7.41

$7.89 ₡3,539

5.58%

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

$419 €372

$494 ₡221.6K

-15.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-5.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 €70.2

$53.9 ₡24.2K

46.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.81

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-33.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 €75.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

8.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €93.0

$79.6 ₡35.7K

31.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 €840

$788 ₡353.4K

19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 €676

$794 ₡356.2K

-4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,546 €1,375

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-60.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 €1,062

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-15.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,242 €2,884

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-53.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 €1,993

$1,224 ₡549.0K

83.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$948 €843

$864 ₡387.3K

9.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

8.62

-57.42%

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

Last update for Silves: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Silves

$761 46.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 4.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Silves

$244 15%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 44.1% $108

Eating Out

Silves

$194 11.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 9.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Silves

$176 10.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 5.6% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Silves

$137 8.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.4% $17

Getting Around

Silves

$61 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 43.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Silves

$57 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 53.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $944 in Silves 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 10% higher in Silves, 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 $47.00 in Silves versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $352 – making Silves the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Silves

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

19:09 7:09 PM

7 h behind Silves

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,776

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

Silves Nosara 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Silves
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

Silves vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,629 in Silves, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,444 per month in Silves 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 Silves, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Silves. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $419 per month in Silves and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Silves, where all-in costs run around $1,629, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Silves 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 $1,629 in Silves 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 Silves. 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.