Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turnhout and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,127 in Turnhout, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Turnhout
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,127
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Turnhout vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Turnhout $2,127
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,076 per month in Turnhout vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Turnhout $3,076
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,024 per month in Turnhout vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Turnhout $4,024
  • Nosara $3,818

Turnhout costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Turnhout and Nosara sit above the global median – Turnhout by 58%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.68 €20.17
$12.35 ₡5,539
83.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.0 €57.0
$61.2 ₡27.4K
4.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.58 €13.86
$7.52 ₡3,373
107.18%
Cappuccino
$4.25 €3.78
$4.41 ₡1,978
-3.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 €2.75
$1.74 ₡780
77.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.43
$1.31 ₡587
108.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.19 €4.62
$3.28 ₡1,471
58.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.67 €4.16
$4.47 ₡2,004
4.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.56 ₡701
-30.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 €1.45
$3.02 ₡1,355
-46.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$2.51 ₡1,125
-15.14%
Eggs
$3.98 €3.54
$3.57 ₡1,603
11.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.93 €8.83
$7.43 ₡3,333
33.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.11
$10.52 ₡4,717
-13.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.36 €17.22
$13.97 ₡6,265
38.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 €2.47
$2.35 ₡1,052
17.87%
Banana (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$1.61 ₡720
49.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$4.80 ₡2,152
-47.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.85 €2.53
$1.61 ₡724
77.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$3.80 ₡1,703
-44.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 €1.71
$3.69 ₡1,657
-47.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.13 ₡507
-3.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$2.66 ₡1,191
-59.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.99 €11.55
$5.18 ₡2,321
150.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.06 €4.50
$19.88 ₡8,916
-74.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$2.90 ₡1,300
-43.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.11
$3.63 ₡1,626
-34.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.77 €2.46
$1.12 ₡504
147.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.54 €44.07
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-31.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.30 €10.05
$2.14 ₡958
428.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.93 €2.61
$1.57 ₡703
86.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$52.3 €46.56
$8.52 ₡3,823
514.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.52 ₡682
26.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €30.9K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
60.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.7K €29.9K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-2.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €200
$96.3 ₡43.2K
133.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.17 €18.83
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-41.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.30 €42.07
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-11.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$125 €111
$71.6 ₡32.1K
74.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.43 €19.95
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-35.75%
Cinema Ticket
$13.60 €12.10
$7.89 ₡3,539
72.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$547 €487
$494 ₡221.6K
10.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.1K €18.7K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
77.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106 €94.0
$53.9 ₡24.2K
96.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.94 €41.75
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-15.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €95.9
$77.9 ₡34.9K
38.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 €132
$79.6 ₡35.7K
86.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$910 €809
$788 ₡353.4K
15.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$785 €699
$794 ₡356.2K
-1.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,236 €1,100
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-68.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 €983
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-22.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turnhout
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,592 €2,305
$864 ₡387.3K
200.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
8.62
-62.88%

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

Last update for Turnhout: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Turnhout
$786
Nosara
$794 1.1% $8.8
Eating Out
Turnhout
$338
Nosara
$212 37.3% $126
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turnhout
$294
Nosara
$186 36.7% $108
Groceries & Markets
Turnhout
$288
Nosara
$352 22.3% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Turnhout
$184
Nosara
$120 34.7% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Turnhout
$152
Nosara
$87 42.4% $64
Getting Around
Turnhout
$87
Nosara
$87 0.6% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in Turnhout 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 200% higher in Turnhout, 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 $64.0 in Turnhout versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Turnhout vs $352 in Nosara – so Turnhout wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Turnhout
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
10:38 10:38 AM
02:38 2:38 AM
8 h behind Turnhout
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Turnhout Nosara 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Turnhout
  • 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
Turnhout vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Turnhout and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,127 in Turnhout, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Turnhout compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Turnhout and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Turnhout 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 Turnhout and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 47% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Turnhout and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $547 per month in Turnhout and $494 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 $1,839, than in Turnhout at $2,127. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Turnhout it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Turnhout and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,127 in Turnhout. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Turnhout 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 Turnhout and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Turnhout makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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