Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Hague and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,685 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

The Hague
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,685
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,685 per month in The Hague vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • The Hague $2,685
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,047 per month in The Hague vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • The Hague $4,047
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,409 per month in The Hague vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • The Hague $5,409
  • Nosara $3,712

The Hague costs about 46% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both The Hague and Nosara sit above the global median – The Hague by 100%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.22 €19.83
$12.22 ₡5,509
81.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.9 €80.2
$60.2 ₡27.1K
49.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.31 €13.66
$7.54 ₡3,399
103.05%
Cappuccino
$4.32 €3.86
$4.31 ₡1,941
0.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 €3.80
$1.72 ₡773
147.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.19 €3.74
$1.35 ₡608
210.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.14 €6.37
$3.24 ₡1,459
120.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.81 €6.97
$4.48 ₡2,018
74.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.57 ₡707
-5.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 €2.03
$3.17 ₡1,429
-28.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 €2.26
$2.42 ₡1,091
4.55%
Eggs
$4.55 €4.06
$3.57 ₡1,609
27.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.90 €13.30
$7.43 ₡3,349
100.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.82 €11.44
$10.42 ₡4,697
23.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.01 €16.97
$13.66 ₡6,156
39.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 €2.35
$2.32 ₡1,044
13.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.61 ₡728
37.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.05 €1.83
$4.74 ₡2,138
-56.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.58 €3.20
$1.66 ₡747
115.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 €1.22
$3.72 ₡1,679
-63.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.29 €1.15
$3.57 ₡1,611
-63.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 €1.06
$1.10 ₡497
7.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$2.55 ₡1,149
-65.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.60 €13.03
$4.95 ₡2,232
194.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.81 €5.18
$20.01 ₡9,020
-70.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$2.79 ₡1,256
-53.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$3.53 ₡1,589
-46.46%
🚌 Getting Around
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.43 €3.95
$1.19 ₡537
272.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.7 €83.6
$72.1 ₡32.5K
30.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.62 €4.12
$2.24 ₡1,011
106.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.44 €3.07
$1.55 ₡701
121.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.21 €30.53
$8.86 ₡3,993
286.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.57 ₡708
67.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.2K €36.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
89.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.2K €35.0K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
13.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$280 €250
$93.5 ₡42.1K
199.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.43 €25.37
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-19.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.2 €48.40
$51.5 ₡23.2K
5.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 €44.82
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-29.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.51 €21.87
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-30.84%
Cinema Ticket
$17.03 €15.20
$7.84 ₡3,535
117.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,418 €2,157
$490 ₡220.7K
393.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K €10.6K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
0.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.3 €83.3
$53.5 ₡24.1K
74.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.31 €38.65
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-22.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.5
$79.3 ₡35.7K
33.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 €124
$78.9 ₡35.6K
75.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,666 €1,487
$786 ₡354.3K
111.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,160
$780 ₡351.6K
66.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,799 €2,498
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-27.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,275 €2,030
$1,407 ₡634.4K
61.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,156 €5,494
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-11.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,536 €4,048
$1,201 ₡541.3K
277.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
The Hague
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,034 €3,600
$876 ₡395.0K
360.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
8.62
-60.56%

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

Last update for The Hague: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
The Hague
$1.3K
Nosara
$780 40% $520
Monthly Utilities & Internet
The Hague
$363
Nosara
$180 50.4% $183
Eating Out
The Hague
$361
Nosara
$209 41.9% $151
Groceries & Markets
The Hague
$328
Nosara
$350 6.5% $21
Clothing & Footwear
The Hague
$172
Nosara
$120 29.8% $51
Getting Around
The Hague
$133
Nosara
$87 34.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
The Hague
$84
Nosara
$87 3.3% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,666 in The Hague versus $786 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 360% higher in The Hague, 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 $90.0 in The Hague versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $328 in The Hague vs $350 in Nosara – so The Hague wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇱 The Hague
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:33 8:33 AM
00:33 12:33 AM
8 h behind The Hague
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
562,839
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • The Hague Nosara 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • The Hague
  • 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
The Hague vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in The Hague and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,685 in The Hague, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in The Hague compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,027 per month in The Hague and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between The Hague 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.
How do commuting costs compare in The Hague and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 30% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between The Hague and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $2,418 per month in The Hague and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
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 $1,837, than in The Hague at $2,685. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Hague it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between The Hague and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. The Hague has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,685 in The Hague. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is The Hague 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 The Hague and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Hague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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