Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fredrikstad and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,983 in Fredrikstad, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Fredrikstad
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Fredrikstad Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Fredrikstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,983

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,983 in Fredrikstad versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Fredrikstad $2,983
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,345 in Fredrikstad versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Fredrikstad $4,345
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,707 in Fredrikstad versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Fredrikstad $5,707
Nosara $3,818

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 62% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fredrikstad 121% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.28 NOK 247

$12.35 ₡5,539

112.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,170

$61.2 ₡27.4K

103.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.65 NOK 119

$7.52 ₡3,373

68.22%

Cappuccino

$6.77 NOK 63.7

$4.41 ₡1,978

53.51%

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

$5.55 NOK 52.3

$1.74 ₡780

218.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.36

$1.31 ₡587

235.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.55 NOK 109

$3.28 ₡1,471

252.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.57 NOK 90.1

$4.47 ₡2,004

114.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.00

$1.56 ₡701

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 NOK 40.56

$3.02 ₡1,355

42.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.31

$2.51 ₡1,125

36.65%

Eggs

$5.82 NOK 54.8

$3.57 ₡1,603

63.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 NOK 123

$7.43 ₡3,333

75.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.96 NOK 169

$10.52 ₡4,717

70.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.38 NOK 324

$13.97 ₡6,265

146.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.71

$2.35 ₡1,052

43.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 34.24

$1.61 ₡720

126.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 NOK 40.49

$4.80 ₡2,152

-10.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 NOK 47.06

$1.61 ₡724

210.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.74

$3.80 ₡1,703

-30.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.53

$3.69 ₡1,657

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 26.50

$1.13 ₡507

149.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.66 ₡1,191

-12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.51 NOK 146

$5.18 ₡2,321

199.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.16 NOK 209

$19.88 ₡8,916

11.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.81

$2.90 ₡1,300

20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.34

$3.63 ₡1,626

20.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 NOK 38.71

$1.12 ₡504

266.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 607

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-11.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.56 NOK 118

$2.14 ₡958

486.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NOK 18.79

$1.57 ₡703

27.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.1 NOK 660

$8.52 ₡3,823

723.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.64

$1.52 ₡682

51.32%

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

$49.8K NOK 468.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

130.27%

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

$46.9K NOK 441.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

35.74%

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

$331 NOK 3,118

$96.3 ₡43.2K

244.00%

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

$45.60 NOK 429

$35.89 ₡16.1K

27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 NOK 630

$53.6 ₡24.0K

24.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 NOK 549

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.86 NOK 385

$34.91 ₡15.7K

17.04%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 NOK 190

$7.89 ₡3,539

155.89%

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

$168 NOK 1,579

$494 ₡221.6K

-66.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NOK 117.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

5.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$155 NOK 1,459

$53.9 ₡24.2K

187.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.7 NOK 741

$55.4 ₡24.8K

42.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 NOK 1,358

$77.9 ₡34.9K

85.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NOK 1,051

$79.6 ₡35.7K

40.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 NOK 12.5K

$788 ₡353.4K

68.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

42.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 NOK 17.1K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 NOK 14.3K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

6.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 56.7K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-12.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,131 NOK 38.9K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

237.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 NOK 31.7K

$864 ₡387.3K

290.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.95

8.62

-42.58%

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

Last update for Fredrikstad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fredrikstad

$1.1K 37.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 29.8% $337

Groceries & Markets

Fredrikstad

$540 18.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.7% $187

Eating Out

Fredrikstad

$446 15%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 52.5% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fredrikstad

$444 14.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 58.1% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Fredrikstad

$220 7.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 45.5% $100

Getting Around

Fredrikstad

$103 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 15.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Fredrikstad

$99 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Fredrikstad and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 290% 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: $124 in Fredrikstad vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $540 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Fredrikstad

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

08:42 8:42 AM

8 h behind Fredrikstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,267

4,912

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fredrikstad Nosara 9,420 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fredrikstad
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

Fredrikstad vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 290% higher in Fredrikstad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,329 in Fredrikstad versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Fredrikstad versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,983 in Fredrikstad, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Fredrikstad. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fredrikstad 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.