Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calarasi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $358 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
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Calarasi Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Calarasi

🇲🇩 Moldova

$358

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $358 per month in Calarasi vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Calarasi $358
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $585 per month in Calarasi vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Calarasi $585
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $811 per month in Calarasi vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Calarasi $811
Nosara $3,818

Calarasi is about 81% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Calarasi sits 74% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 MDL 198

$12.35 ₡5,539

-9.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.51 MDL 400

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-63.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 MDL 123

$7.52 ₡3,373

-7.85%

Cappuccino

$1.42 MDL 25.19

$4.41 ₡1,978

-67.80%

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

$0.75 MDL 13.24

$1.74 ₡780

-56.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MDL 8.31

$1.31 ₡587

-64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 MDL 19.42

$3.28 ₡1,471

-66.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 25.22

$4.47 ₡2,004

-68.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 MDL 17.59

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 MDL 6.31

$3.02 ₡1,355

-88.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$1.93 MDL 34.20

$3.57 ₡1,603

-45.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MDL 34.42

$1.61 ₡720

20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 MDL 11.18

$3.80 ₡1,703

-83.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MDL 9.20

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.54

$2.14 ₡958

-48.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MDL 29.75

$1.52 ₡682

10.53%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$20.5K MDL 364.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-40.49%

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

$58.4 MDL 1,038

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-39.31%

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

$6.57 MDL 117

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-81.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.12 MDL 180

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-81.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 MDL 60.5

$7.89 ₡3,539

-56.78%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.26 MDL 591

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-38.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.87 MDL 584

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-40.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MDL 1,922

$77.9 ₡34.9K

38.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.44 MDL 594

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-58.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Calarasi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Calarasi

$140 39.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 51.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Calarasi

$94 26.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 28.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calarasi

$75 21%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 147% $111

Groceries & Markets

Calarasi

$41 * 11.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 762% $311

Sport & Entertainment

Calarasi

$6.8 * 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1183% $81

Getting Around

Calarasi

$1.1 * 0.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 7819% $86

Accommodation & Living

Calarasi

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Calarasi versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $41.00 vs $352 – making Calarasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Calarasi

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

23:10 11:10 PM

9 h behind Calarasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,100

4,912

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 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 MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calarasi Nosara 10,930 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Calarasi
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

Calarasi vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 414%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $536 per month in Calarasi and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 762% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Calarasi and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $358, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calarasi – 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 Calarasi. 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.