Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akureyri and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,060 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,060

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,060 per month in Akureyri vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Akureyri $3,060
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,123 per month in Akureyri vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Akureyri $4,123
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,186 per month in Akureyri vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Akureyri $5,186
Nosara $3,712

Akureyri costs about 67% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Akureyri and Nosara sit above the global median – Akureyri by 128%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.64 ISK 3,004

$12.22 ₡5,509

101.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$133 ISK 16.2K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

121.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.95 ISK 2,799

$7.54 ₡3,399

204.38%

Cappuccino

$4.93 ISK 602

$4.31 ₡1,941

14.39%

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

$3.44 ISK 420

$1.72 ₡773

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ISK 381

$1.35 ₡608

131.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.08 ISK 1,352

$3.24 ₡1,459

241.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 ISK 1,150

$4.48 ₡2,018

110.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 ISK 338

$1.57 ₡707

76.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ISK 280

$3.17 ₡1,429

-27.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 ISK 388

$2.42 ₡1,091

31.40%

Eggs

$7.93 ISK 967

$3.57 ₡1,609

122.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.52 ISK 1,892

$7.43 ₡3,349

108.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.79 ISK 3,024

$10.42 ₡4,697

137.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 ISK 355

$1.61 ₡728

80.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 ISK 426

$4.74 ₡2,138

-26.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.89 ISK 719

$1.66 ₡747

254.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.61 ISK 1,660

$4.95 ₡2,232

174.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 ISK 307

$1.57 ₡708

60.51%

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

$41.1K ISK 5.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

88.62%

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

$66.4K ISK 8.1M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

91.81%

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

$124 ISK 15.1K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

32.46%

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

$26.03 ISK 3,174

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-25.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$162 ISK 19.7K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

214.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.8 ISK 10.6K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

21.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 ISK 1,852

$7.84 ₡3,535

93.62%

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

$364 ISK 44.3K

$490 ₡220.7K

-25.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 ISK 10.1K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

54.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 ISK 15.0K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

55.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 ISK 219.5K

$786 ₡354.3K

129.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 ISK 217.9K

$780 ₡351.6K

129.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 ISK 262.6K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

53.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,605 ISK 805.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-5.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,467 ISK 788.7K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

438.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.4

8.62

9.05%

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

Last update for Akureyri: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Akureyri

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Akureyri

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Akureyri

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akureyri

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Akureyri

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Akureyri

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Akureyri

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,800 in Akureyri 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $133 in Akureyri versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Akureyri vs $350 in Nosara – so Akureyri wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

6 h behind Akureyri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,219

4,912

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Akureyri Nosara 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Akureyri
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

Akureyri vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,590 per month in Akureyri and $2,756 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $133 in Akureyri and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Akureyri – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Akureyri at $3,060. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akureyri it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Akureyri makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.