Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Kalmar and in Nosara: $1,907 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
Learn more

Kalmar Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,907 per month in Kalmar vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kalmar $1,907
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,844 per month in Kalmar vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kalmar $2,844
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,781 per month in Kalmar vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kalmar $3,781
Nosara $3,818

Kalmar costs about 4% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kalmar and Nosara sit above the global median – Kalmar by 41%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.70 SEK 146

$12.35 ₡5,539

19.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 SEK 704

$61.2 ₡27.4K

16.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 SEK 102

$7.52 ₡3,373

36.57%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 46.09

$4.41 ₡1,978

5.44%

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

$2.82 SEK 27.99

$1.74 ₡780

62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SEK 25.71

$1.31 ₡587

97.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.66 SEK 95.7

$3.28 ₡1,471

194.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 SEK 69.7

$4.47 ₡2,004

57.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.61

$1.56 ₡701

-5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 29.83

$3.02 ₡1,355

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 28.97

$2.51 ₡1,125

16.33%

Eggs

$4.59 SEK 45.43

$3.57 ₡1,603

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 SEK 161

$7.43 ₡3,333

118.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 SEK 109

$10.52 ₡4,717

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 SEK 216

$13.97 ₡6,265

55.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 SEK 24.38

$2.35 ₡1,052

4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 SEK 26.06

$1.61 ₡720

63.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 33.69

$4.80 ₡2,152

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 SEK 42.33

$1.61 ₡724

165.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 16.12

$3.80 ₡1,703

-57.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 SEK 22.82

$3.69 ₡1,657

-37.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 SEK 18.19

$1.13 ₡507

62.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.43

$2.66 ₡1,191

-37.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.97 SEK 79.0

$5.18 ₡2,321

53.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.19 SEK 91.1

$19.88 ₡8,916

-53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 19.44

$2.90 ₡1,300

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 24.87

$3.63 ₡1,626

-30.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 SEK 33.01

$1.12 ₡504

197.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.6 SEK 759

$72.6 ₡32.6K

5.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.70 SEK 96.1

$2.14 ₡958

353.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.40

$1.57 ₡703

5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.98 SEK 466

$8.52 ₡3,823

451.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.81

$1.52 ₡682

11.84%

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

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

38.37%

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

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.85%

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

$142 SEK 1,403

$96.3 ₡43.2K

47.03%

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

$26.84 SEK 266

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-25.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.79 SEK 315

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-40.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.76 SEK 305

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-57.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.42 SEK 262

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-24.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 SEK 145

$7.89 ₡3,539

85.93%

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

$138 SEK 1,367

$494 ₡221.6K

-72.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-58.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 SEK 501

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.32 SEK 419

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-23.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 SEK 791

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SEK 998

$79.6 ₡35.7K

26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 SEK 9,056

$788 ₡353.4K

15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 SEK 7,440

$794 ₡356.2K

-5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-21.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-41.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

119.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

$864 ₡387.3K

233.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

8.62

-54.41%

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

Last update for Kalmar: 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

Kalmar

$751 39.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 5.8% $43

Groceries & Markets

Kalmar

$377 19.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 6.5% $24

Eating Out

Kalmar

$288 15.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 26.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalmar

$200 10.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 7.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Kalmar

$123 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.4% $2.9

Getting Around

Kalmar

$108 5.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 19.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Kalmar

$60 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 45.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $914 in Kalmar 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 233% higher in Kalmar, 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 $71.0 in Kalmar versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

20:56 8:56 PM

8 h behind Kalmar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,170

4,912

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kalmar Nosara 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Kalmar
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

Kalmar vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,907 in Kalmar, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,861 per month in Kalmar 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.

Kindergarten costs $138 per month in Kalmar and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Kalmar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Kalmar at $1,907. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalmar 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $1,907 in Kalmar. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kalmar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.