Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Lulea and in Nosara: $1,823 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

88

Cost of Living Index in Lulea
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Lulea Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Lulea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,823

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,823 in Lulea versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Lulea $1,823
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,920 in Lulea versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Lulea $2,920
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,016 in Lulea versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Lulea $4,016
Nosara $3,712

Living in Lulea costs roughly 1% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 36% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 SEK 117

$12.22 ₡5,509

-4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.5 SEK 955

$60.2 ₡27.1K

58.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 SEK 109

$7.54 ₡3,399

45.23%

Cappuccino

$4.36 SEK 43.52

$4.31 ₡1,941

1.16%

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

$2.51 SEK 25.10

$1.72 ₡773

45.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SEK 18.66

$1.35 ₡608

38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.58 SEK 85.8

$3.24 ₡1,459

164.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.49 SEK 94.8

$4.48 ₡2,018

111.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.71

$1.57 ₡707

12.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 SEK 32.60

$3.17 ₡1,429

2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 SEK 49.41

$2.42 ₡1,091

104.13%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 46.43

$3.57 ₡1,609

30.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 122

$7.43 ₡3,349

64.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 SEK 132

$10.42 ₡4,697

26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.18 SEK 262

$13.66 ₡6,156

91.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.47

$2.32 ₡1,044

9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 SEK 26.53

$1.61 ₡728

64.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 SEK 24.87

$4.74 ₡2,138

-47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 41.10

$1.66 ₡747

147.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 SEK 20.39

$3.72 ₡1,679

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 15.43

$3.57 ₡1,611

-56.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 SEK 33.58

$1.10 ₡497

205.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.93

$2.55 ₡1,149

-49.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.68 SEK 66.7

$4.95 ₡2,232

34.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 SEK 120

$20.01 ₡9,020

-39.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.77

$2.79 ₡1,256

-36.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 17.15

$3.53 ₡1,589

-51.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 SEK 33.21

$1.19 ₡537

178.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 SEK 554

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-23.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 SEK 90.3

$2.24 ₡1,011

303.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 SEK 20.52

$1.55 ₡701

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 SEK 706

$8.86 ₡3,993

696.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.65

$1.57 ₡708

12.74%

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

$31.9K SEK 318.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

46.15%

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

$33.5K SEK 334.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-3.32%

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

$160 SEK 1,603

$93.5 ₡42.1K

71.66%

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

$31.51 SEK 315

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-10.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.96 SEK 269

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-47.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 SEK 461

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-35.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.47 SEK 354

$35.44 ₡16.0K

0.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 SEK 129

$7.84 ₡3,535

65.05%

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

$153 SEK 1,528

$490 ₡220.7K

-68.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,466 SEK 54.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-53.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 SEK 1,168

$53.5 ₡24.1K

118.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 SEK 320

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-42.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,202

$79.3 ₡35.7K

51.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 SEK 1,611

$78.9 ₡35.6K

104.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 SEK 7,773

$786 ₡354.3K

-1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 SEK 5,811

$780 ₡351.6K

-25.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 SEK 14.2K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-63.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 SEK 11.0K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-21.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,049 SEK 30.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-56.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,254 SEK 22.5K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

87.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 SEK 25.9K

$876 ₡395.0K

196.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

8.62

-55.34%

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

Last update for Lulea: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lulea

$581 32%

Nosara

$780 43% 34.1% $198

Groceries & Markets

Lulea

$404 22.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 13.4% $54

Eating Out

Lulea

$258 14.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 18.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lulea

$219 12.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 17.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Lulea

$194 10.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 37.8% $73

Getting Around

Lulea

$88 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.4% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lulea

$72 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Lulea and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 196% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Lulea vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lulea

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

19:37 7:37 PM

8 h behind Lulea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,864

4,912

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lulea Nosara 9,790 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Lulea
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

Lulea vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 196% higher in Lulea, 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: $778 in Lulea versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,823 in Lulea versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,823 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.