Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Crikvenica and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Crikvenica: $1,539 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Crikvenica
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,539
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,539 in Crikvenica versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Crikvenica $1,539
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,353 in Crikvenica versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Crikvenica $2,353
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,167 in Crikvenica versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Crikvenica $3,167
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Crikvenica 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: Crikvenica 14% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.59 €12.13
$12.35 ₡5,550
10.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.3 €65.4
$61.2 ₡27.5K
19.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.77 €6.94
$7.52 ₡3,379
3.32%
Cappuccino
$3.29 €2.94
$4.41 ₡1,982
-25.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.69
$1.74 ₡781
72.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 €2.62
$1.31 ₡588
124.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.57 €4.98
$3.28 ₡1,474
69.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.55 €4.06
$4.47 ₡2,008
1.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.56 ₡702
-28.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 €1.44
$3.02 ₡1,358
-46.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.03 €2.71
$2.51 ₡1,127
20.72%
Eggs
$3.74 €3.34
$3.57 ₡1,606
4.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.33 €13.69
$7.43 ₡3,340
106.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.98 €8.91
$10.52 ₡4,727
-5.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.03 €10.75
$13.97 ₡6,277
-13.89%
Apples (1kg)
$1.66 €1.48
$2.35 ₡1,054
-29.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.61 ₡721
-4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$4.80 ₡2,156
-60.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.36
$1.61 ₡725
63.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.38 €1.23
$3.80 ₡1,706
-63.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.29 €1.15
$3.69 ₡1,660
-65.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.18
$1.13 ₡508
16.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$2.66 ₡1,193
-51.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59 €4.99
$5.18 ₡2,326
7.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.66 €6.84
$19.88 ₡8,934
-61.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.90 ₡1,303
-53.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.33
$3.63 ₡1,629
-59.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.12 ₡505
50.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.13 €37.62
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-42.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 €2.92
$2.14 ₡960
52.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.57 ₡705
-8.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.42 €11.98
$8.52 ₡3,830
57.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.52 ₡683
22.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K €23.6K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
22.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K €21.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-29.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 €162
$96.3 ₡43.3K
88.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.35 €21.74
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-32.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.64 €35.40
$53.6 ₡24.1K
-26.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.9 €46.34
$71.6 ₡32.2K
-27.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.84 €12.36
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-60.36%
Cinema Ticket
$6.90 €6.16
$7.89 ₡3,546
-12.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$425 €379
$494 ₡222.0K
-14.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,944 €6,201
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-41.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 €80.1
$53.9 ₡24.2K
66.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.89 €37.41
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-24.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.9
$77.9 ₡35.0K
34.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.0 €69.7
$79.6 ₡35.8K
-1.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$667 €595
$788 ₡354.1K
-15.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$517 €462
$794 ₡356.9K
-34.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,193 €1,066
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-69.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$844 €754
$1,419 ₡637.7K
-40.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,662 €3,270
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-47.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,726 €2,434
$1,224 ₡550.0K
122.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Crikvenica
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡388.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.72
8.62
-56.84%

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

Last update for Crikvenica: 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
Crikvenica
$517
Nosara
$794 53.6% $277
Groceries & Markets
Crikvenica
$278
Nosara
$352 26.9% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Crikvenica
$246
Nosara
$186 24.4% $60
Eating Out
Crikvenica
$232
Nosara
$212 8.8% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Crikvenica
$142
Nosara
$120 15.2% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Crikvenica
$66
Nosara
$87 33% $22
Getting Around
Crikvenica
$59
Nosara
$87 46.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $667 in Crikvenica and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Crikvenica vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $352, with Crikvenica cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Crikvenica
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
12:21 12:21 PM
04:21 4:21 AM
8 h behind Crikvenica
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Crikvenica Nosara 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Crikvenica
  • 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
Crikvenica vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Crikvenica?
Crikvenica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,309 in Crikvenica and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Crikvenica and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $667 in Crikvenica versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Crikvenica runs roughly 72% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $425 in Crikvenica versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Crikvenica or in Nosara?
At $1,539 in Crikvenica versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Crikvenica but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Crikvenica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Crikvenica or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Crikvenica is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Crikvenica or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Crikvenica 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Crikvenica 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.

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