Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sintra and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sintra: $1,592 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

77

Cost of Living Index in Sintra
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Sintra Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sintra

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,592

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,592 per month in Sintra vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sintra $1,592
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,317 per month in Sintra vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sintra $2,317
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,041 per month in Sintra vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sintra $3,041
Nosara $3,818

Sintra is about 13% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sintra and Nosara sit above the global median – Sintra by 18%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 €11.61

$12.35 ₡5,539

5.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 €49.24

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 €7.87

$7.52 ₡3,373

17.55%

Cappuccino

$1.28 €1.14

$4.41 ₡1,978

-70.98%

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

$1.54 €1.37

$1.74 ₡780

-11.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.31 ₡587

-7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 €2.89

$3.28 ₡1,471

-0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.44

$4.47 ₡2,004

-38.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.56 ₡701

-32.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.12

$3.02 ₡1,355

-58.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$2.51 ₡1,125

-47.41%

Eggs

$2.60 €2.31

$3.57 ₡1,603

-27.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 €8.13

$7.43 ₡3,333

23.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 €6.15

$10.52 ₡4,717

-34.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 €9.85

$13.97 ₡6,265

-20.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

$2.35 ₡1,052

-22.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.61 ₡720

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 €1.19

$4.80 ₡2,152

-72.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 €2.00

$1.61 ₡724

39.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.11

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$3.69 ₡1,657

-55.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.13 ₡507

40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$2.66 ₡1,191

-76.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 €5.56

$5.18 ₡2,321

20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$19.88 ₡8,916

-83.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.90 ₡1,300

-55.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.24

$3.63 ₡1,626

-61.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 €1.94

$1.12 ₡504

95.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.73 €37.11

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-42.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 €3.26

$2.14 ₡958

71.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 €0.44

$1.57 ₡703

-68.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.24 €14.45

$8.52 ₡3,823

90.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.52 ₡682

36.18%

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

$34.2K €30.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

58.11%

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

$38.2K €33.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

10.54%

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

$129 €115

$96.3 ₡43.2K

33.78%

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

$21.92 €19.50

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-38.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.30 €40.30

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-15.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 €36.62

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 €13.81

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-55.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 €7.91

$7.89 ₡3,539

12.67%

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

$604 €538

$494 ₡221.6K

22.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,207 €5,522

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-47.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 €66.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

38.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 €40.07

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-18.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

38.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.27 €43.82

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-38.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 €869

$788 ₡353.4K

24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 €688

$794 ₡356.2K

-2.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,379

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-60.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 €1,043

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-17.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,033 €2,698

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-56.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 €1,989

$1,224 ₡549.0K

82.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,347 €1,198

$864 ₡387.3K

56.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

8.62

-58.93%

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

Last update for Sintra: 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

Sintra

$774 48.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 2.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Sintra

$204 12.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 72.9% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sintra

$196 12.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 5.2% $10

Eating Out

Sintra

$179 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 18.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Sintra

$125 7.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.6% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sintra

$59 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 48.2% $28

Getting Around

Sintra

$57 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 53.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Sintra 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 56% higher in Sintra, 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 $55.0 in Sintra versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $352 – making Sintra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Sintra

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

7 h behind Sintra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

385,654

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

Sintra Nosara 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sintra
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

Sintra vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,592 in Sintra, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,389 per month in Sintra 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 Sintra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Sintra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $604 per month in Sintra 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 Sintra, where all-in costs run around $1,592, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sintra 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 $1,592 in Sintra 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 Sintra. 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.