Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durres and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Durres: $1,138 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Durres
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,138
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Durres versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Durres $1,138
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,733 in Durres versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Durres $1,733
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,329 in Durres versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Durres $2,329
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Durres costs roughly 38% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durres is 16% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Durres
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.51 ALL 846
$12.35 ₡5,539
-14.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.27 ALL 3,001
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-39.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.18 ALL 820
$7.52 ₡3,373
35.37%
Cappuccino
$1.98 ALL 160
$4.41 ₡1,978
-55.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 ALL 164
$1.74 ₡780
17.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 ALL 84.2
$1.31 ₡587
-19.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.98 ALL 240
$3.28 ₡1,471
-9.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.23 ALL 340
$4.47 ₡2,004
-5.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Durres
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.11 ALL 170
$1.56 ₡701
35.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.07 ALL 86.2
$3.02 ₡1,355
-64.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 ALL 190
$2.51 ₡1,125
-5.58%
Eggs
$3.69 ALL 297
$3.57 ₡1,603
3.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.79 ALL 1,030
$7.43 ₡3,333
72.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.64 ALL 615
$10.52 ₡4,717
-27.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.57 ALL 1,173
$13.97 ₡6,265
4.29%
Apples (1kg)
$1.15 ALL 93.0
$2.35 ₡1,052
-51.06%
Banana (1kg)
$2.38 ALL 192
$1.61 ₡720
47.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.54 ALL 124
$4.80 ₡2,152
-67.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.31 ALL 106
$1.61 ₡724
-18.63%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 ALL 74.0
$3.80 ₡1,703
-75.79%
Onion (1kg)
$0.94 ALL 76.1
$3.69 ₡1,657
-74.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 ALL 101
$1.13 ₡507
10.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 ALL 56.7
$2.66 ₡1,191
-73.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.24 ALL 341
$5.18 ₡2,321
-18.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.01 ALL 887
$19.88 ₡8,916
-44.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 ALL 121
$2.90 ₡1,300
-48.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ALL 166
$3.63 ₡1,626
-43.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Durres
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 ALL 38.53
$1.12 ₡504
-57.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.19 ALL 1,545
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-73.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 ALL 287
$2.14 ₡958
66.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.47 ALL 199
$1.57 ₡703
57.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.52 ₡3,823
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.18 ALL 176
$1.52 ₡682
43.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.1K ALL 1.3M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
-25.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.6 ALL 7,534
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-2.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.62 ALL 1,338
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-53.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.68 ALL 1,343
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-68.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Durres
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.50 ALL 3,262
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-43.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$61.3 ALL 4,932
$34.91 ₡15.7K
75.45%
Cinema Ticket
$7.48 ALL 602
$7.89 ₡3,539
-5.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Durres
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$183 ALL 14.7K
$494 ₡221.6K
-62.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,590 ALL 369.6K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-61.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Durres
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.06 ALL 3,146
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-27.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.02 ALL 3,303
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-25.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.4 ALL 7,195
$77.9 ₡34.9K
14.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 ALL 12.8K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
100.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Durres
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$444 ALL 35.8K
$788 ₡353.4K
-43.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$336 ALL 27.0K
$794 ₡356.2K
-57.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$690 ALL 55.6K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-82.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$469 ALL 37.8K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-66.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,774 ALL 142.9K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-74.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,154 ALL 92.9K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-5.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Durres
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$940 ALL 75.7K
$864 ₡387.3K
8.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
8.62
-39.10%

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

Last update for Durres: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Durres
$336
Nosara
$794 137% $459
Groceries & Markets
Durres
$261
Nosara
$352 35% $91
Eating Out
Durres
$174
Nosara
$212 21.7% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Durres
$148
Nosara
$120 18.8% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
$127
Nosara
$186 46.4% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Durres
$55
Nosara
$87 57.5% $32
Getting Around
Durres
$37
Nosara
$87 135% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Durres and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durres pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Durres vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $352 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇱 Durres
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
07:45 7:45 AM
23:45 11:45 PM
8 h behind Durres
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
175,110
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Durres Nosara 10,510 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Durres
  • 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
Durres vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Durres or Nosara?
Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Durres or in Nosara?
Average pay runs 9% higher in Durres, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Durres compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $444 in Durres versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Durres compared to Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,138 per month in Durres versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Durres compared to Nosara?
A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 279% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Durres or in Nosara?
At $1,138 in Durres versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Durres or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,138 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.
How safe is Durres compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Durres 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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