Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacau and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $913 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$913

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $913 per month in Bacau vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Bacau $913
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,548 per month in Bacau vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Bacau $1,548
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,182 per month in Bacau vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Bacau $2,182
Nosara $3,818

Bacau is about 50% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bacau sits 32% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 RON 66.5

$12.35 ₡5,539

13.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 RON 402

$61.2 ₡27.4K

39.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 RON 34.96

$7.52 ₡3,373

-1.73%

Cappuccino

$1.98 RON 9.37

$4.41 ₡1,978

-55.10%

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

$1.94 RON 9.16

$1.74 ₡780

11.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RON 8.97

$1.31 ₡587

45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 RON 11.75

$3.28 ₡1,471

-24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 RON 14.96

$4.47 ₡2,004

-29.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 RON 5.76

$1.56 ₡701

-21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 RON 3.09

$3.02 ₡1,355

-78.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.74

$2.51 ₡1,125

-34.66%

Eggs

$3.39 RON 16.03

$3.57 ₡1,603

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 RON 36.87

$7.43 ₡3,333

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 RON 25.67

$10.52 ₡4,717

-48.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 RON 39.86

$13.97 ₡6,265

-39.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 RON 5.41

$2.35 ₡1,052

-51.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.06

$1.61 ₡720

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$4.80 ₡2,152

-67.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 RON 8.24

$1.61 ₡724

8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.43

$3.80 ₡1,703

-81.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RON 3.07

$3.69 ₡1,657

-82.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$1.13 ₡507

-32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 RON 3.23

$2.66 ₡1,191

-74.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 RON 25.87

$5.18 ₡2,321

5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 RON 24.02

$19.88 ₡8,916

-74.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 RON 4.46

$2.90 ₡1,300

-67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.78

$3.63 ₡1,626

-66.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 RON 3.51

$1.12 ₡504

-33.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.14 RON 138

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-59.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.92

$2.14 ₡958

-71.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 RON 3.17

$1.57 ₡703

-57.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 RON 33.51

$8.52 ₡3,823

-16.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.50

$1.52 ₡682

18.42%

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

$28.9K RON 136.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

33.61%

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

$24.9K RON 117.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.84%

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

$106 RON 502

$96.3 ₡43.2K

10.24%

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

$7.51 RON 35.53

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-79.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.83 RON 22.86

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-90.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.72 RON 122

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-64.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 RON 74.9

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-54.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 RON 30.45

$7.89 ₡3,539

-18.38%

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

$591 RON 2,794

$494 ₡221.6K

19.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,858 RON 23.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-59.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 RON 392

$53.9 ₡24.2K

53.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.49 RON 149

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-43.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.6 RON 282

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 RON 395

$79.6 ₡35.7K

4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 RON 1,891

$788 ₡353.4K

-49.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 RON 1,113

$794 ₡356.2K

-70.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 RON 2,584

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 RON 1,889

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-71.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,818 RON 8,604

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-73.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,199 RON 5,673

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-2.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$933 RON 4,415

$864 ₡387.3K

8.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.97

8.62

-19.14%

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

Last update for Bacau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacau

$235 25.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 238% $559

Eating Out

Bacau

$192 21.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 10.1% $19

Groceries & Markets

Bacau

$176 19.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 100% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacau

$118 13%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 56.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Bacau

$116 12.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.6% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bacau

$39 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 126% $49

Getting Around

Bacau

$36 4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 141% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $400 in Bacau 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 8% higher in Bacau, 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 $85.0 in Bacau versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Bacau vs $352 in Nosara – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bacau

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

12:40 12:40 PM

9 h behind Bacau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,307

4,912

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

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 RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bacau Nosara 10,860 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Bacau
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

Bacau vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Bacau 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 Bacau, 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 $85.0 in Bacau and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $913 in Bacau and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 101%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bacau, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Bacau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bacau – 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 Bacau. 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.