Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haugesund and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,654 in Haugesund, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Haugesund
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Haugesund Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Haugesund

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,654

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,654 per month in Haugesund vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Haugesund $2,654
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,956 per month in Haugesund vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Haugesund $3,956
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,259 per month in Haugesund vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Haugesund $5,259
Nosara $3,818

Haugesund costs about 44% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Haugesund and Nosara sit above the global median – Haugesund by 97%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.97 NOK 207

$12.35 ₡5,539

77.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 NOK 987

$61.2 ₡27.4K

71.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.38 NOK 135

$7.52 ₡3,373

91.22%

Cappuccino

$4.59 NOK 43.19

$4.41 ₡1,978

4.08%

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

$5.08 NOK 47.78

$1.74 ₡780

191.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 37.48

$1.31 ₡587

203.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.63 NOK 109

$3.28 ₡1,471

254.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.31 NOK 97.0

$4.47 ₡2,004

130.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.52

$1.56 ₡701

39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 NOK 35.73

$3.02 ₡1,355

25.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 NOK 32.92

$2.51 ₡1,125

39.44%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 45.06

$3.57 ₡1,603

34.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 NOK 111

$7.43 ₡3,333

58.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 141

$10.52 ₡4,717

42.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.81 NOK 318

$13.97 ₡6,265

142.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.02

$2.35 ₡1,052

31.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 20.00

$1.61 ₡720

31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.37

$4.80 ₡2,152

-28.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NOK 39.58

$1.61 ₡724

161.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 NOK 22.77

$3.80 ₡1,703

-36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.23

$3.69 ₡1,657

-10.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 NOK 28.20

$1.13 ₡507

165.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.26

$2.66 ₡1,191

-31.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.21 NOK 162

$5.18 ₡2,321

232.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 NOK 136

$19.88 ₡8,916

-27.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 39.17

$3.63 ₡1,626

14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 NOK 33.51

$1.12 ₡504

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 NOK 635

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-7.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 NOK 115

$2.14 ₡958

469.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 NOK 16.81

$1.57 ₡703

14.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 NOK 529

$8.52 ₡3,823

559.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.03

$1.52 ₡682

61.18%

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

$44.3K NOK 417.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

104.99%

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

$43.5K NOK 409.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

26.05%

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

$275 NOK 2,591

$96.3 ₡43.2K

185.88%

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

$32.80 NOK 309

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-8.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 525

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.71 NOK 468

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-30.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 NOK 341

$34.91 ₡15.7K

3.61%

Cinema Ticket

$16.92 NOK 159

$7.89 ₡3,539

114.45%

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

$241 NOK 2,269

$494 ₡221.6K

-51.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,918 NOK 27.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-75.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NOK 917

$53.9 ₡24.2K

80.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 NOK 504

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-3.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 NOK 820

$77.9 ₡34.9K

11.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,463

$79.6 ₡35.7K

95.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.8K

$788 ₡353.4K

99.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 NOK 10.0K

$794 ₡356.2K

34.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 NOK 19.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 NOK 15.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

17.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,302 NOK 59.3K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-8.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,637 NOK 43.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

278.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,952 NOK 37.2K

$864 ₡387.3K

357.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.2

8.62

-39.68%

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

Last update for Haugesund: 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

Haugesund

$1.1K 40.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 25.5% $272

Groceries & Markets

Haugesund

$471 17.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 25.2% $119

Eating Out

Haugesund

$389 14.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 45.5% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haugesund

$364 13.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 48.9% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Haugesund

$177 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 32.2% $57

Getting Around

Haugesund

$103 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 15.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Haugesund

$84 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 4.6% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Haugesund 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 358% higher in Haugesund, 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 $105 in Haugesund versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $471 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Haugesund

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

04:02 4:02 AM

8 h behind Haugesund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,362

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

Haugesund Nosara 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Haugesund
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

Haugesund vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haugesund costs about 44% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,981 per month in Haugesund 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Haugesund, 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 $105 in Haugesund and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Haugesund at $2,654. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haugesund it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,654 in Haugesund. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haugesund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.