Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Elbasan: $882 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Elbasan
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Elbasan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Elbasan

🇦🇱 Albania

$882

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $882 per month in Elbasan vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Elbasan $882
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Elbasan vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Elbasan $1,391
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,901 per month in Elbasan vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Elbasan $1,901
Nosara $3,818

Elbasan is about 52% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Elbasan sits 35% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 ALL 788

$12.35 ₡5,539

-20.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.36 ALL 2,928

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-40.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 ALL 552

$7.52 ₡3,373

-8.91%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ALL 135

$4.41 ₡1,978

-61.90%

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

$1.35 ALL 109

$1.74 ₡780

-22.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ALL 50.8

$1.31 ₡587

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 ALL 174

$3.28 ₡1,471

-34.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ALL 228

$4.47 ₡2,004

-36.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ALL 151

$1.56 ₡701

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 ALL 73.4

$3.02 ₡1,355

-69.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ALL 131

$2.51 ₡1,125

-35.46%

Eggs

$2.70 ALL 218

$3.57 ₡1,603

-24.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 ALL 804

$7.43 ₡3,333

34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 ALL 473

$10.52 ₡4,717

-44.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ALL 901

$13.97 ₡6,265

-19.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 96.3

$2.35 ₡1,052

-48.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ALL 184

$1.61 ₡720

41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ALL 109

$4.80 ₡2,152

-71.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ALL 86.1

$1.61 ₡724

-33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ALL 79.0

$3.80 ₡1,703

-74.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 87.5

$3.69 ₡1,657

-70.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 ALL 65.1

$1.13 ₡507

-28.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.1

$2.66 ₡1,191

-75.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ALL 353

$5.18 ₡2,321

-15.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 ALL 649

$19.88 ₡8,916

-59.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ALL 82.0

$2.90 ₡1,300

-64.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ALL 149

$3.63 ₡1,626

-49.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 38.46

$1.12 ₡504

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.51 ALL 1,571

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-73.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 ALL 303

$2.14 ₡958

76.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 ALL 122

$1.57 ₡703

-3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.94 ALL 1,203

$8.52 ₡3,823

75.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 ALL 173

$1.52 ₡682

41.45%

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

$28.9K ALL 2.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

33.86%

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

$29.9K ALL 2.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.37%

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

$61.1 ALL 4,918

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-36.58%

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

$15.20 ALL 1,224

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-57.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.00 ALL 966

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-77.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ALL 4,558

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-20.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 ALL 1,386

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-50.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 ALL 349

$7.89 ₡3,539

-45.12%

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

$139 ALL 11.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

-71.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,835 ALL 147.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-84.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 ALL 5,804

$53.9 ₡24.2K

33.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 ALL 3,611

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 ALL 7,630

$77.9 ₡34.9K

21.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 ALL 7,754

$79.6 ₡35.7K

20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ALL 24.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-62.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ALL 16.4K

$794 ₡356.2K

-74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ALL 35.6K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-88.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ALL 25.1K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-78.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,361 ALL 109.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-80.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$858 ALL 69.1K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-29.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$539 ALL 43.4K

$864 ₡387.3K

-37.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Elbasan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Elbasan

$210 23.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 68.1% $143

Accommodation & Living

Elbasan

$204 23.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 290% $591

Eating Out

Elbasan

$143 16.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 47.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Elbasan

$139 15.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elbasan

$88 10%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 110% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Elbasan

$65 7.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 33.9% $22

Getting Around

Elbasan

$33 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 166% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $299 in Elbasan versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% 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 $36.00 in Elbasan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $352 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Elbasan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

8 h behind Elbasan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,703

4,912

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

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).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Elbasan Nosara 10,560 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Elbasan
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

Elbasan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,322 per month in Elbasan and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% 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 $36.00 in Elbasan 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 Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – 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 Elbasan. 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.