Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derna and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $171 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$171

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $171 per month in Derna vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Derna $171
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $337 per month in Derna vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Derna $337
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $503 per month in Derna vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Derna $503
Nosara $3,712

Derna is about 91% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Derna sits 87% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 LYD 25.66

$12.22 ₡5,509

-67.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.85 LYD 50.2

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-86.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 LYD 20.46

$7.54 ₡3,399

-57.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.15

Cappuccino

$0.45 LYD 2.88

$4.31 ₡1,941

-89.56%

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

$0.29 LYD 1.89

$1.72 ₡773

-83.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 LYD 4.63

$1.57 ₡707

-54.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 LYD 14.68

$2.42 ₡1,091

-5.37%

Eggs

$0.93 LYD 5.95

$3.57 ₡1,609

-73.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 LYD 20.18

$10.42 ₡4,697

-69.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 LYD 4.82

$1.61 ₡728

-53.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 LYD 6.14

$4.74 ₡2,138

-79.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 LYD 5.15

$2.24 ₡1,011

-64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.23 LYD 91.1

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-72.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.11 LYD 199

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-41.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 LYD 254

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-28.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.36 LYD 245

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-51.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.17 LYD 251

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 LYD 1,017

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-95.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.5 LYD 611

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-93.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$196 LYD 1,255

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-97.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$78.0 LYD 499

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-93.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 LYD 1,080

$876 ₡395.0K

-80.74%

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 Derna: 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

Derna

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Derna

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Derna

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derna

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Derna

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Derna

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Derna

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 419% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Derna versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $44.00 vs $350 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Derna

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

00:19 12:19 AM

8 h behind Derna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 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 LYD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Derna Nosara 11,070 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Derna
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

Derna vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 977% more than Derna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $256 per month in Derna and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $171 in Derna and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 977%.

Groceries cost about 690% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $171, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Derna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Derna costs $171 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Derna. 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.