Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grundarfjordur and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Grundarfjordur: $1,722 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Grundarfjordur
Learn more

Grundarfjordur Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Grundarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,722 in Grundarfjordur versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Grundarfjordur $1,722
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,930 in Grundarfjordur versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Grundarfjordur $2,930
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,138 in Grundarfjordur versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Grundarfjordur $4,138
Nosara $3,818

Living in Grundarfjordur costs roughly 6% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grundarfjordur 28% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.43 ISK 3,812

$12.35 ₡5,547

154.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 14.9K

$61.2 ₡27.5K

100.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.34 ISK 3,316

$7.52 ₡3,377

263.56%

Cappuccino

$6.73 ISK 816

$4.41 ₡1,981

52.61%

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

$3.35 ISK 406

$1.74 ₡781

92.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ISK 367

$1.31 ₡588

130.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.78 ISK 1,671

$3.28 ₡1,473

320.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.34 ISK 1,496

$4.47 ₡2,007

176.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 255

$1.56 ₡702

35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 ISK 523

$3.02 ₡1,357

42.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 ISK 437

$2.51 ₡1,127

43.43%

Eggs

$7.15 ISK 867

$3.57 ₡1,605

100.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.52 ISK 2,610

$7.43 ₡3,338

189.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.59 ISK 2,983

$10.52 ₡4,724

133.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.30 ISK 5,010

$13.97 ₡6,274

195.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.35 ₡1,054

37.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 ISK 349

$1.61 ₡721

78.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ISK 396

$4.80 ₡2,155

-31.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 776

$1.61 ₡725

296.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 ISK 480

$3.80 ₡1,706

4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 ISK 204

$3.69 ₡1,659

-54.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.67 ISK 445

$1.13 ₡507

224.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ISK 222

$2.66 ₡1,193

-31.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.67 ISK 1,658

$5.18 ₡2,324

163.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.72 ISK 2,877

$19.88 ₡8,929

19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$2.90 ₡1,302

21.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ISK 423

$3.63 ₡1,628

-4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 ISK 809

$2.14 ₡959

211.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.57 ₡704

84.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.7 ISK 9,913

$8.52 ₡3,828

859.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 ISK 245

$1.52 ₡683

32.89%

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

$51.5K ISK 6.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

138.37%

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

$52.9K ISK 6.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

53.34%

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

$97.1 ISK 11.8K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

0.82%

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

$32.85 ISK 3,985

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-8.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.2 ISK 10.3K

$53.6 ₡24.1K

58.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$19.40 ISK 2,353

$7.89 ₡3,544

145.88%

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

$1,191 ISK 144.4K

$494 ₡221.9K

140.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

117.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 ISK 17.8K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

171.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 ISK 8,022

$55.4 ₡24.9K

19.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ISK 22.5K

$77.9 ₡35.0K

138.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$79.6 ₡35.8K

217.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,121 ISK 135.9K

$1,224 ₡549.8K

-8.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

8.62

2.20%

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

Last update for Grundarfjordur: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Grundarfjordur

$621 36.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 43.3% $269

Eating Out

Grundarfjordur

$533 31%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 60.3% $321

Clothing & Footwear

Grundarfjordur

$293 17%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 59% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grundarfjordur

$215 12.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 13.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Grundarfjordur

$39 * 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 125% $49

Getting Around

Grundarfjordur

$21 * 1.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 311% $66

Accommodation & Living

Grundarfjordur

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $123 in Grundarfjordur vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $621 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Grundarfjordur

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

12:04 12:04 PM

6 h behind Grundarfjordur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

800

4,912

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Grundarfjordur Nosara 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Grundarfjordur
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

Grundarfjordur vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grundarfjordur wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grundarfjordur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,584 in Grundarfjordur and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 76% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,722 per month in Grundarfjordur versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,722 in Grundarfjordur versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Grundarfjordur but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Grundarfjordur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grundarfjordur delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,722 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grundarfjordur hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grundarfjordur 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 Grundarfjordur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.