Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grimstad and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,129 in Grimstad, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Grimstad despite lower rent and utilities.

103

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,129

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,129 in Grimstad versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Grimstad $2,129
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,634 in Grimstad versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Grimstad $3,634
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,140 in Grimstad versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Grimstad $5,140
Nosara $3,818

Living in Grimstad is roughly 16% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grimstad 58% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 NOK 200

$12.35 ₡5,539

71.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 NOK 726

$61.2 ₡27.4K

26.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.35 NOK 145

$7.52 ₡3,373

104.12%

Cappuccino

$4.81 NOK 45.27

$4.41 ₡1,978

9.07%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.42

$1.74 ₡780

134.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 NOK 31.72

$1.31 ₡587

157.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.48 NOK 108

$3.28 ₡1,471

250.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.48 NOK 98.7

$4.47 ₡2,004

134.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 NOK 23.91

$1.56 ₡701

62.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 NOK 34.17

$3.02 ₡1,355

20.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.32

$2.51 ₡1,125

23.90%

Eggs

$3.54 NOK 33.34

$3.57 ₡1,603

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.95 NOK 122

$7.43 ₡3,333

74.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.02 NOK 132

$10.52 ₡4,717

33.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 NOK 228

$13.97 ₡6,265

73.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 NOK 19.15

$2.35 ₡1,052

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.26

$1.61 ₡720

46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.37

$4.80 ₡2,152

-28.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 NOK 40.26

$1.61 ₡724

165.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 26.06

$3.80 ₡1,703

-27.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.49

$3.69 ₡1,657

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 28.97

$1.13 ₡507

172.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 NOK 17.63

$2.66 ₡1,191

-29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.68 NOK 176

$5.18 ₡2,321

260.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 NOK 147

$19.88 ₡8,916

-21.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.24

$2.90 ₡1,300

17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 NOK 39.21

$3.63 ₡1,626

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.31 NOK 49.98

$1.12 ₡504

374.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 NOK 855

$72.6 ₡32.6K

25.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 NOK 112

$2.14 ₡958

454.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NOK 17.40

$1.57 ₡703

17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.8 NOK 657

$8.52 ₡3,823

718.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.89

$1.52 ₡682

53.29%

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

$48.5K NOK 456.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

124.54%

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

$43.9K NOK 413.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

27.27%

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

$301 NOK 2,837

$96.3 ₡43.2K

213.02%

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

$33.76 NOK 318

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-5.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NOK 509

$53.6 ₡24.0K

0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.35 NOK 389

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 NOK 148

$7.89 ₡3,539

99.62%

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

$233 NOK 2,191

$494 ₡221.6K

-52.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 147.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

32.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 900

$53.9 ₡24.2K

77.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 492

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 996

$77.9 ₡34.9K

35.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,478

$79.6 ₡35.7K

97.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 NOK 8,245

$788 ₡353.4K

11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 NOK 5,006

$794 ₡356.2K

-33.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,926 NOK 18.1K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-51.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 NOK 16.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

23.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,591 NOK 43.2K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-33.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 NOK 31.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

174.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,349 NOK 40.9K

$864 ₡387.3K

403.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.9

8.62

-43.16%

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

Last update for Grimstad: 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

Grimstad

$532 25%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 49.4% $263

Groceries & Markets

Grimstad

$435 20.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grimstad

$389 18.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 52.3% $204

Eating Out

Grimstad

$382 17.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 44.5% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Grimstad

$185 8.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 35% $65

Getting Around

Grimstad

$133 6.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 34.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Grimstad

$73 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 19.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $876 in Grimstad and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimstad pays 404% 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: $77.0 in Grimstad vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $435 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

09:34 9:34 AM

8 h behind Grimstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,093

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

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Highest

Between locations

Grimstad Nosara 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Grimstad
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

Grimstad vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 404% higher in Grimstad, 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: $876 in Grimstad versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,129 per month in Grimstad versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 25% less than in Grimstad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,129 in Grimstad, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Grimstad. 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 Grimstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Grimstad 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 16% less than in Grimstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.