Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cricova: $1,022 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Cricova
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Cricova Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Cricova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,022

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,022 in Cricova versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Cricova $1,022
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Cricova versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Cricova $1,858
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,693 in Cricova versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Cricova $2,693
Nosara $3,818

Living in Cricova costs roughly 44% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cricova is 24% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.25 MDL 146

$12.35 ₡5,539

-33.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.53 MDL 489

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-55.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 MDL 183

$7.52 ₡3,373

36.97%

Cappuccino

$1.08 MDL 19.20

$4.41 ₡1,978

-75.51%

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

$1.05 MDL 18.59

$1.74 ₡780

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MDL 12.14

$1.31 ₡587

-48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MDL 35.55

$3.28 ₡1,471

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 MDL 39.25

$4.47 ₡2,004

-50.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MDL 42.52

$1.56 ₡701

53.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 MDL 8.18

$3.02 ₡1,355

-84.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.38

$2.51 ₡1,125

-56.57%

Eggs

$1.25 MDL 22.22

$3.57 ₡1,603

-64.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 MDL 123

$7.43 ₡3,333

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 MDL 81.5

$10.52 ₡4,717

-56.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.35 MDL 219

$13.97 ₡6,265

-11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MDL 19.14

$2.35 ₡1,052

-54.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 MDL 15.21

$1.61 ₡720

-46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 MDL 18.33

$4.80 ₡2,152

-78.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.29

$1.61 ₡724

-32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MDL 13.44

$3.80 ₡1,703

-80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.36

$3.69 ₡1,657

-70.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MDL 19.24

$1.13 ₡507

-4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MDL 19.37

$2.66 ₡1,191

-59.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 MDL 58.8

$5.18 ₡2,321

-36.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.45 MDL 79.1

$19.88 ₡8,916

-77.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 MDL 45.88

$2.90 ₡1,300

-11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MDL 75.9

$3.63 ₡1,626

17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MDL 9.48

$1.12 ₡504

-52.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.39 MDL 398

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-69.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.57

$2.14 ₡958

-48.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MDL 4.63

$1.57 ₡703

-83.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 MDL 116

$8.52 ₡3,823

-23.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MDL 23.12

$1.52 ₡682

-14.47%

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

$29.2K MDL 517.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

34.95%

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

$23.8K MDL 422.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-31.09%

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

$235 MDL 4,176

$96.3 ₡43.2K

144.19%

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

$7.70 MDL 137

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-78.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.02 MDL 196

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-79.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 MDL 1,003

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-21.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 MDL 199

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-67.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 MDL 132

$7.89 ₡3,539

-5.96%

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

$111 MDL 1,972

$494 ₡221.6K

-77.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,220 MDL 92.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-55.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 MDL 998

$53.9 ₡24.2K

4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 MDL 490

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-50.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 MDL 1,464

$77.9 ₡34.9K

5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MDL 2,021

$79.6 ₡35.7K

42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 MDL 15.7K

$788 ₡353.4K

12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 MDL 3,943

$794 ₡356.2K

-72.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 MDL 24.4K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-65.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MDL 19.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-21.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 MDL 49.3K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-59.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,943 MDL 34.5K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

58.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 MDL 9,989

$864 ₡387.3K

-34.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-18.79%

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

Last update for Cricova: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cricova

$254 24.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 26.8% $68

Accommodation & Living

Cricova

$222 21.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 258% $572

Groceries & Markets

Cricova

$191 18.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 84.5% $161

Eating Out

Cricova

$131 12.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 61.5% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Cricova

$126 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.7% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Cricova

$71 7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 22.5% $16

Getting Around

Cricova

$27 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 223% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Cricova and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 54% 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: $28.00 in Cricova vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $352 per month, with Cricova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Cricova

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

23:05 11:05 PM

9 h behind Cricova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,642

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

Cricova Nosara 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cricova
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

Cricova vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cricova and Nosara differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($1,022 vs $1,839 including rent). Cricova is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $884 in Cricova versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 224% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $111 in Cricova versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,022 in Cricova versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cricova 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 Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.