Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wels and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Wels and in Nosara: $1,885 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

92

Cost of Living Index in Wels
Learn more

Wels Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Wels

🇦🇹 Austria

$1,885

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,885 per month in Wels vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Wels $1,885
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,801 per month in Wels vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Wels $2,801
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,717 per month in Wels vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Wels $3,717
Nosara $3,818

Wels costs about 3% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wels and Nosara sit above the global median – Wels by 40%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.47 €14.65

$12.35 ₡5,539

33.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 €74.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

36.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 €10.07

$7.52 ₡3,373

50.53%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.79

$4.41 ₡1,978

-3.17%

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

$3.38 €3.01

$1.74 ₡780

94.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$1.31 ₡587

127.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 €4.84

$3.28 ₡1,471

65.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 €4.82

$4.47 ₡2,004

21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.56 ₡701

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.14

$3.02 ₡1,355

-20.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.51 ₡1,125

-31.08%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.42

$3.57 ₡1,603

7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.73 €19.33

$7.43 ₡3,333

192.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 €11.43

$10.52 ₡4,717

22.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.77 €19.36

$13.97 ₡6,265

55.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.35 ₡1,052

26.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.61 ₡720

9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$4.80 ₡2,152

-43.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$1.61 ₡724

74.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$3.80 ₡1,703

-33.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$3.69 ₡1,657

-55.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.13 ₡507

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 €6.68

$5.18 ₡2,321

44.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 €7.95

$19.88 ₡8,916

-55.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-72.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.95

$3.63 ₡1,626

-39.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 €2.40

$1.12 ₡504

141.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.48 €34.23

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-47.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €5.01

$2.14 ₡958

163.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 €2.08

$1.57 ₡703

49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.71 €27.32

$8.52 ₡3,823

260.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.52 ₡682

17.76%

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

$30.7K €27.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

42.15%

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

$30.2K €26.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-12.49%

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

$333 €296

$96.3 ₡43.2K

245.93%

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

$13.71 €12.19

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-61.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.38 €33.25

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-30.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.43 €40.41

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-36.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.27 €29.59

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-4.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 €12.13

$7.89 ₡3,539

72.88%

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

$1,336 €1,189

$494 ₡221.6K

170.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

33.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €73.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

52.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 €52.7

$55.4 ₡24.8K

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

42.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$79.6 ₡35.7K

54.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 €601

$788 ₡353.4K

-14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 €489

$794 ₡356.2K

-30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 €832

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-76.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €704

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-44.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,698

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-39.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,425 €3,047

$1,224 ₡549.0K

179.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,072 €2,733

$864 ₡387.3K

255.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

8.62

-59.40%

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

Last update for Wels: 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

Wels

$550 29.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 44.5% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wels

$384 20.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 51.7% $198

Groceries & Markets

Wels

$362 19.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.6% $9.6

Eating Out

Wels

$280 14.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Wels

$169 9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 29.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Wels

$73 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.2% $15

Getting Around

Wels

$67 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 30.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $676 in Wels 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 256% higher in Wels, 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 $83.0 in Wels versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Wels

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

15:32 3:32 PM

8 h behind Wels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,853

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

Wels Nosara 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Wels
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

Wels vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,885 in Wels, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,827 per month in Wels 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 89% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,336 per month in Wels and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Wels at $1,885. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wels 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $1,885 in Wels. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wels makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.