Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hella and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Hella: $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 Hella
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Hella Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Hella

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,722 per month in Hella vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Hella $1,722
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,928 per month in Hella vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Hella $2,928
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,135 per month in Hella vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Hella $4,135
Nosara $3,818

Hella is about 6% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hella and Nosara sit above the global median – Hella by 28%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.26 ISK 3,791

$12.35 ₡5,539

153.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 14.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

100.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.14 ISK 3,291

$7.52 ₡3,373

260.90%

Cappuccino

$6.93 ISK 841

$4.41 ₡1,978

57.14%

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

$3.36 ISK 407

$1.74 ₡780

93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ISK 373

$1.31 ₡587

134.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.71 ISK 1,663

$3.28 ₡1,471

317.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.32 ISK 1,495

$4.47 ₡2,004

175.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 247

$1.56 ₡701

30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 ISK 516

$3.02 ₡1,355

41.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 ISK 434

$2.51 ₡1,125

42.63%

Eggs

$6.99 ISK 848

$3.57 ₡1,603

95.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.00 ISK 2,668

$7.43 ₡3,333

196.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.51 ISK 2,973

$10.52 ₡4,717

132.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.04 ISK 4,978

$13.97 ₡6,265

193.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ISK 406

$2.35 ₡1,052

42.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 ISK 347

$1.61 ₡720

77.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 ISK 379

$4.80 ₡2,152

-34.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 ISK 803

$1.61 ₡724

311.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 ISK 463

$3.80 ₡1,703

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 ISK 208

$3.69 ₡1,657

-53.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.78 ISK 458

$1.13 ₡507

234.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ISK 215

$2.66 ₡1,191

-33.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.79 ISK 1,672

$5.18 ₡2,321

166.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.61 ISK 2,863

$19.88 ₡8,916

18.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.71 ISK 449

$2.90 ₡1,300

27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ISK 425

$3.63 ₡1,626

-3.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$2.14 ₡958

208.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 ISK 335

$1.57 ₡703

75.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.2 ISK 9,844

$8.52 ₡3,823

852.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.52 ₡682

37.50%

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

$51.2K ISK 6.2M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

137.11%

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

$54.1K ISK 6.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

56.80%

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

$95.2 ISK 11.5K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-1.16%

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

$33.16 ISK 4,022

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-7.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 ISK 10.6K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

63.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$19.67 ISK 2,386

$7.89 ₡3,539

149.30%

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

$1,198 ISK 145.2K

$494 ₡221.6K

142.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

116.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 ISK 17.8K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

171.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 ISK 8,130

$55.4 ₡24.8K

20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

134.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

217.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Hella: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hella

$620 36%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 43.2% $268

Eating Out

Hella

$534 31%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 60.3% $322

Clothing & Footwear

Hella

$292 17%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 58.9% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hella

$216 12.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 14% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Hella

$39 * 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 122% $48

Getting Around

Hella

$20 * 1.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 326% $67

Accommodation & Living

Hella

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Hella versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $620 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Hella

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

21:58 9:58 PM

6 h behind Hella

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

900

4,912

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hella Nosara 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hella
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

Hella vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,722 in Hella, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,583 per month in Hella and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,722 in Hella and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $1,198 per month in Hella and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hella, where all-in costs run around $1,722, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Hella it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,722 in Hella to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Hella. 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.