Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sligo and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Sligo and in Nosara: $1,784 and $1,835 a month, rent and utilities included.

Sligo
🇮🇪 Ireland
$1,784
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Sligo vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sligo $1,784
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,736 per month in Sligo vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sligo $2,736
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,688 per month in Sligo vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Sligo $3,688
  • Nosara $3,814

Sligo is about 3% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sligo and Nosara sit above the global median – Sligo by 32%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.00 €15.12
$12.34 ₡5,535
37.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.8 €69.2
$61.3 ₡27.5K
26.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.98 €7.99
$7.76 ₡3,481
15.72%
Cappuccino
$3.67 €3.26
$4.44 ₡1,992
-17.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 €2.29
$1.79 ₡803
43.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.29 ₡580
45.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 €5.71
$3.24 ₡1,451
98.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 €5.40
$4.43 ₡1,985
37.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.55 ₡696
-5.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$3.08 ₡1,380
-53.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 €1.40
$2.53 ₡1,133
-37.94%
Eggs
$3.53 €3.14
$3.45 ₡1,546
2.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.54 €7.59
$7.32 ₡3,284
16.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.05 €8.05
$10.24 ₡4,594
-11.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.18 €9.94
$14.10 ₡6,326
-20.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.08 €1.85
$2.29 ₡1,027
-9.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.64 ₡737
6.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.84 €2.52
$4.79 ₡2,149
-40.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 €2.45
$1.64 ₡735
67.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 €1.52
$3.85 ₡1,727
-55.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 €1.05
$3.75 ₡1,681
-68.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.09 ₡488
15.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$2.59 ₡1,160
-36.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.28 €15.37
$5.12 ₡2,295
237.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.43 €10.17
$19.92 ₡8,931
-42.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 €2.34
$2.80 ₡1,255
-5.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 €3.42
$3.52 ₡1,580
9.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.22 ₡549
80.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.72 €5.09
$2.17 ₡973
163.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.56 ₡698
-7.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$67.4 €60.0
$8.67 ₡3,886
677.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 €1.78
$1.55 ₡697
29.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.7K €35.3K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
14.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.1K €33.0K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-4.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$166 €147
$94.8 ₡42.5K
74.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.20 €19.75
$36.15 ₡16.2K
-38.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.25 €41.14
$53.1 ₡23.8K
-12.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$65.6 €58.3
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-11.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.19 €9.95
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-68.59%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.78
$7.91 ₡3,548
38.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$807 €718
$490 ₡219.9K
64.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,248 €2,000
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-81.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$54.8 ₡24.6K
61.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.13 €25.02
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-49.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$73.8 €65.6
$80.4 ₡36.0K
-8.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.3 €80.3
$77.9 ₡34.9K
15.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,378 €1,226
$801 ₡359.1K
72.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$770 €685
$790 ₡354.1K
-2.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,286 €2,034
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-42.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,360 €1,210
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-3.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,114 €1,880
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-70.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,236 ₡554.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sligo
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,161 €3,701
$887 ₡397.6K
369.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.6
8.62
-58.24%

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

Last update for Sligo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sligo
$770
Nosara
$790 2.6% $20
Groceries & Markets
Sligo
$276
Nosara
$350 26.8% $74
Eating Out
Sligo
$269
Nosara
$213 20.9% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sligo
$234
Nosara
$184 21.4% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Sligo
$126
Nosara
$121 4.2% $5.4
Sport & Entertainment
Sligo
$88
Nosara
$90 2.4% $2.1
Getting Around
Sligo
$22 *
Nosara
$89 309% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,378 in Sligo versus $801 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 369% higher in Sligo, 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 $78.0 in Sligo versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Sligo vs $350 in Nosara – so Sligo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Sligo
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
09:50 9:50 AM
02:50 2:50 AM
7 h behind Sligo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,608
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 24, 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
  • Sligo Nosara 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sligo
  • 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
Sligo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sligo and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,784 in Sligo, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sligo compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,676 per month in Sligo and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sligo and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sligo, 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 $78.0 in Sligo 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 27% more in Nosara, 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 Sligo, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Sligo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sligo and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,784 in Sligo to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sligo 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 Sligo and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Sligo. 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.

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