Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soest and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Soest and in Nosara: $1,925 and $1,846 a month, rent and utilities included.

Soest, Germany
Nosara, Costa Rica
Soest
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,925
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,925 per month in Soest vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Soest $1,925
  • Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $2,869 per month in Soest vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Soest $2,869
  • Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Soest vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Soest $3,812
  • Nosara $3,820

Soest costs about 4% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Soest and Nosara sit above the global median – Soest by 41%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Soest
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.52 €12.15
$12.36 ₡5,575
9.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €61.2
$60.8 ₡27.4K
12.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 €10.13
$7.88 ₡3,557
43.15%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$4.40 ₡1,986
-32.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 €1.97
$1.72 ₡776
27.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.02
$1.34 ₡603
67.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.52 €3.17
$3.34 ₡1,505
5.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$4.54 ₡2,048
-49.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Soest
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.64 ₡739
-20.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.78 €1.60
$3.16 ₡1,426
-43.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.95 €3.55
$2.39 ₡1,080
65.27%
Eggs
$3.38 €3.04
$3.47 ₡1,564
-2.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.26 €12.82
$7.13 ₡3,217
100.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.78 €10.58
$10.32 ₡4,655
14.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.18 €16.34
$13.97 ₡6,302
30.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 €2.34
$2.29 ₡1,031
13.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.62 ₡731
21.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.09 €1.88
$4.81 ₡2,169
-56.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.03
$1.68 ₡758
34.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 €1.20
$3.91 ₡1,765
-65.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 €1.10
$3.63 ₡1,640
-66.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 €1.42
$1.13 ₡509
39.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 €0.92
$2.63 ₡1,188
-61.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.38 €8.43
$5.02 ₡2,267
86.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.07 €5.46
$19.71 ₡8,893
-69.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 €0.80
$2.91 ₡1,314
-69.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 €1.32
$3.54 ₡1,597
-58.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Soest
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.41 €3.06
$1.21 ₡545
181.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.6 €54.5
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-17.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 €3.45
$2.15 ₡969
78.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.63 €2.36
$1.63 ₡738
61.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.48 €30.08
$8.77 ₡3,958
281.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 €1.84
$1.55 ₡700
32.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.1K €27.1K
$33.9K ₡15.3M
-11.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.6K
$38.5K ₡17.4M
0.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Soest
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$377 €339
$95.2 ₡43.0K
296.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.99 €15.27
$36.29 ₡16.4K
-53.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.10 €38.72
$52.0 ₡23.5K
-17.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Soest
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.92 €25.08
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-58.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.12 €27.07
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-15.27%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60 €9.52
$7.54 ₡3,404
40.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Soest
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$467 €420
$496 ₡224.0K
-5.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K €15.3K
$11.8K ₡5.3M
45.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Soest
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$128 €115
$55.1 ₡24.9K
132.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.35 €29.97
$56.1 ₡25.3K
-40.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 €106
$77.8 ₡35.1K
51.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €110
$79.1 ₡35.7K
54.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Soest
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,109 €997
$817 ₡368.9K
35.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$644 €578
$806 ₡363.6K
-20.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,457 €1,309
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-63.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 €1,026
$1,429 ₡644.9K
-20.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,354 €3,912
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-38.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,673 €3,300
$1,197 ₡540.1K
206.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Soest
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$888 ₡400.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.96
8.62
-54.06%

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

Last update for Soest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Soest
$644
Nosara
$806 25.2% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Soest
$437
Nosara
$184 58% $254
Groceries & Markets
Soest
$305
Nosara
$351 15% $46
Eating Out
Soest
$218
Nosara
$213 1.9% $4.2
Clothing & Footwear
Soest
$181
Nosara
$121 33.3% $60
Getting Around
Soest
$91
Nosara
$89 2.6% $2.4
Sport & Entertainment
Soest
$49
Nosara
$83 68.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,109 in Soest versus $817 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Soest versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Soest vs $351 in Nosara – so Soest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Soest
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:49 2:49 PM
07:49 7:49 AM
7 h behind Soest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,460
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Soest Nosara 9,400 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Soest
  • 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
Soest vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Soest and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,925 in Soest, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Soest compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,887 per month in Soest and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Soest and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,109 in Soest.
How do commuting costs compare in Soest and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Soest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Soest and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $467 per month in Soest and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Soest compared to Nosara?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,925 in Soest and $1,846 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Soest and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,846 in Nosara to $1,925 in Soest. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Soest 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.

Soest vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?