Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,547 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,547

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,547 in Bålsta versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Bålsta $1,547
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,416 in Bålsta versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Bålsta $2,416
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,286 in Bålsta versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Bålsta $3,286
Nosara $3,818

Living in Bålsta costs roughly 16% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bålsta 15% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 SEK 137

$12.35 ₡5,539

11.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 SEK 645

$61.2 ₡27.4K

6.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 SEK 85.5

$7.52 ₡3,373

14.63%

Cappuccino

$3.89 SEK 38.56

$4.41 ₡1,978

-11.79%

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

$2.65 SEK 26.21

$1.74 ₡780

52.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 22.00

$1.31 ₡587

69.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 SEK 68.4

$3.28 ₡1,471

110.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 SEK 67.6

$4.47 ₡2,004

52.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 15.16

$1.56 ₡701

-1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 SEK 20.04

$3.02 ₡1,355

-33.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 35.31

$2.51 ₡1,125

41.83%

Eggs

$3.62 SEK 35.86

$3.57 ₡1,603

1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 SEK 108

$7.43 ₡3,333

47.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 SEK 119

$10.52 ₡4,717

14.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.92 SEK 108

$13.97 ₡6,265

-21.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 24.15

$2.35 ₡1,052

3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.30

$1.61 ₡720

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 SEK 19.13

$4.80 ₡2,152

-59.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 27.06

$1.61 ₡724

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 14.42

$3.80 ₡1,703

-61.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 SEK 12.07

$3.69 ₡1,657

-66.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 SEK 14.94

$1.13 ₡507

33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 SEK 9.70

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 SEK 71.2

$5.18 ₡2,321

38.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 SEK 96.5

$19.88 ₡8,916

-51.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SEK 15.16

$2.90 ₡1,300

-47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.88

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 SEK 31.62

$1.12 ₡504

184.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 SEK 773

$72.6 ₡32.6K

7.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 SEK 57.6

$2.14 ₡958

171.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 SEK 15.00

$1.57 ₡703

-3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.0 SEK 773

$8.52 ₡3,823

815.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.37

$1.52 ₡682

15.13%

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

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

52.17%

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

$32.0K SEK 317.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.22%

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

$49.58 SEK 491

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-48.51%

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

$20.01 SEK 198

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-44.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.64 SEK 393

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-26.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.01 SEK 377

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-46.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.77 SEK 255

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-26.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 SEK 129

$7.89 ₡3,539

64.51%

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

$121 SEK 1,194

$494 ₡221.6K

-75.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,908 SEK 48.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-58.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 SEK 701

$53.9 ₡24.2K

31.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.12 SEK 100

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-81.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 SEK 803

$77.9 ₡34.9K

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 SEK 1,087

$79.6 ₡35.7K

37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,862

$788 ₡353.4K

0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 SEK 5,966

$794 ₡356.2K

-24.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 SEK 13.5K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 SEK 10.1K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-28.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,972 SEK 39.4K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-42.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,805 SEK 27.8K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

129.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,866 SEK 38.3K

$864 ₡387.3K

347.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

8.62

-67.52%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bålsta

$602 38.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 31.9% $192

Groceries & Markets

Bålsta

$294 19%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.7% $58

Eating Out

Bålsta

$251 16.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 15.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Bålsta

$122 7.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.8% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bålsta

$109 7.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 70.1% $77

Getting Around

Bålsta

$104 6.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 16.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bålsta

$64 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Bålsta and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 348% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Bålsta vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $352, with Bålsta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

8 h behind Bålsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,138

4,912

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bålsta Nosara 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bålsta
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

Bålsta vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 348% higher in Bålsta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Bålsta versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,547 per month in Bålsta versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 7% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,547 in Bålsta versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,547 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bålsta and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.