Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilagarcia de Arousa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Vilagarcia de Arousa: $1,123 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Vilagarcia de Arousa
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Vilagarcia de Arousa Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Vilagarcia de Arousa

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,123

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,123 per month in Vilagarcia de Arousa vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Vilagarcia de Arousa $1,123
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,665 per month in Vilagarcia de Arousa vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Vilagarcia de Arousa $1,665
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,207 per month in Vilagarcia de Arousa vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Vilagarcia de Arousa $2,207
Nosara $3,818

Vilagarcia de Arousa is about 39% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Vilagarcia de Arousa sits 17% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.13 €8.12

$12.35 ₡5,539

-26.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.96 €33.77

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-37.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 €7.80

$7.52 ₡3,373

16.62%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.55

$4.41 ₡1,978

-60.32%

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

$2.43 €2.16

$1.74 ₡780

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.31 ₡587

22.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 €2.24

$3.28 ₡1,471

-23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.47 ₡2,004

-26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 €0.88

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.18

$3.02 ₡1,355

-55.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$2.51 ₡1,125

-28.29%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.72

$3.57 ₡1,603

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 €5.89

$7.43 ₡3,333

-10.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 €6.44

$10.52 ₡4,717

-31.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 €7.08

$13.97 ₡6,265

-43.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.35 ₡1,052

8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 €2.44

$1.61 ₡720

70.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$4.80 ₡2,152

-50.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.61 ₡724

43.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$3.80 ₡1,703

-45.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$3.69 ₡1,657

-34.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.13 ₡507

34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.64

$2.66 ₡1,191

-72.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 €4.55

$5.18 ₡2,321

-1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 €3.90

$19.88 ₡8,916

-77.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$2.90 ₡1,300

-61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.63 ₡1,626

-45.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.12 ₡504

49.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.67 €16.61

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-74.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 €4.58

$2.14 ₡958

140.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.57 ₡703

-28.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.10 €16.99

$8.52 ₡3,823

124.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.52 ₡682

12.50%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

61.79%

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

$29.0K €25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.12%

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

$144 €128

$96.3 ₡43.2K

49.63%

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

$16.18 €14.40

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-54.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.73 €27.34

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-42.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.00 €24.91

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-60.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 €13.74

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-55.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.28 €7.36

$7.89 ₡3,539

4.94%

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

$270 €240

$494 ₡221.6K

-45.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,669 €5,932

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-43.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 €64.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

34.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.73 €27.34

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-44.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 €64.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$79.6 ₡35.7K

63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 €483

$788 ₡353.4K

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 €304

$794 ₡356.2K

-57.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 €697

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-80.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 €446

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-64.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,461 €1,300

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-78.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 €744

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-31.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,245 €1,997

$864 ₡387.3K

159.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

8.62

-56.26%

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

Last update for Vilagarcia de Arousa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$341 30.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 133% $453

Groceries & Markets

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$217 19.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 62.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$191 17%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 2.7% $5.2

Eating Out

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$156 13.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$138 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$45 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 96.1% $43

Getting Around

Vilagarcia de Arousa

$36 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 141% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $543 in Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 160% higher in Vilagarcia de Arousa, 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 $38.00 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $352 – making Vilagarcia de Arousa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Vilagarcia de Arousa

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:31 1:31 AM

17:31 5:31 PM

8 h behind Vilagarcia de Arousa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,689

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Vilagarcia de Arousa Nosara 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Vilagarcia de Arousa
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

Vilagarcia de Arousa vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,123 in Vilagarcia de Arousa, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,685 per month in Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 Vilagarcia de Arousa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 289% less in Vilagarcia de Arousa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $270 per month in Vilagarcia de Arousa and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vilagarcia de Arousa, where all-in costs run around $1,123, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 $1,123 in Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 Vilagarcia de Arousa. 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.