Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,844 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
Learn more

Bergen Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,844

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,844 in Bergen versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Bergen $2,844
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,282 in Bergen versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Bergen $4,282
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,719 in Bergen versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Bergen $5,719
Nosara $3,712

Living in Bergen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.98 NOK 219

$12.22 ₡5,509

88.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$135 NOK 1,292

$60.2 ₡27.1K

124.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.52 NOK 148

$7.54 ₡3,399

105.84%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 51.8

$4.31 ₡1,941

25.75%

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

$5.10 NOK 48.71

$1.72 ₡773

196.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 NOK 42.65

$1.35 ₡608

231.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.57 NOK 120

$3.24 ₡1,459

287.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.41 NOK 99.4

$4.48 ₡2,018

132.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.57

$1.57 ₡707

36.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 NOK 36.13

$3.17 ₡1,429

19.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 NOK 33.54

$2.42 ₡1,091

45.04%

Eggs

$6.41 NOK 61.3

$3.57 ₡1,609

79.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.32 NOK 137

$7.43 ₡3,349

92.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.21 NOK 164

$10.42 ₡4,697

65.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.16 NOK 345

$13.66 ₡6,156

164.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 NOK 39.38

$2.32 ₡1,044

77.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.95

$1.61 ₡728

68.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.44

$4.74 ₡2,138

-23.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 NOK 51.4

$1.66 ₡747

224.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 24.02

$3.72 ₡1,679

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.97

$3.57 ₡1,611

-6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 NOK 27.34

$1.10 ₡497

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 17.03

$2.55 ₡1,149

-30.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.10 NOK 163

$4.95 ₡2,232

245.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 NOK 172

$20.01 ₡9,020

-10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 NOK 34.31

$2.79 ₡1,256

28.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 NOK 40.20

$3.53 ₡1,589

19.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.15 NOK 49.21

$1.19 ₡537

332.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 NOK 825

$72.1 ₡32.5K

19.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 118

$2.24 ₡1,011

453.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.61

$1.55 ₡701

18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.5 NOK 674

$8.86 ₡3,993

695.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 22.42

$1.57 ₡708

49.68%

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

$48.6K NOK 463.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

122.68%

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

$43.3K NOK 413.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

25.12%

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

$275 NOK 2,623

$93.5 ₡42.1K

193.88%

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

$32.93 NOK 314

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-6.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.9 NOK 791

$51.5 ₡23.2K

60.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.61 NOK 436

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-36.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.77 NOK 399

$35.44 ₡16.0K

17.86%

Cinema Ticket

$18.87 NOK 180

$7.84 ₡3,535

140.69%

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

$238 NOK 2,272

$490 ₡220.7K

-51.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NOK 114.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

1.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,022

$53.5 ₡24.1K

99.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 NOK 522

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-2.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,128

$79.3 ₡35.7K

49.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,545

$78.9 ₡35.6K

105.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 NOK 13.5K

$786 ₡354.3K

79.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 NOK 10.3K

$780 ₡351.6K

38.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,348 NOK 22.4K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-39.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 NOK 16.2K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

20.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,822 NOK 74.7K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

12.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,769 NOK 45.5K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

297.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,527 NOK 43.2K

$876 ₡395.0K

416.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

8.62

-38.86%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.1K 38.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 28% $304

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$524 18.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 33.3% $175

Eating Out

Bergen

$417 14.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 49.8% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$390 13.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 53.9% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$199 7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 39.4% $78

Getting Around

Bergen

$129 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 32.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$83 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 4.5% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,414 in Bergen and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 417% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $135 in Bergen vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $524 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

8 h behind Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

4,912

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.71 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bergen Nosara 9,100 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bergen
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

Bergen vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 417% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,414 in Bergen versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Bergen versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,844 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.