Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,231 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Molde
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Molde Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,231

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,231 in Molde versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Molde $2,231
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in Molde versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Molde $3,464
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,697 in Molde versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Molde $4,697
Nosara $3,818

Living in Molde is roughly 21% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 65% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 NOK 161

$12.35 ₡5,539

38.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 NOK 905

$61.2 ₡27.4K

57.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 NOK 125

$7.52 ₡3,373

76.20%

Cappuccino

$4.11 NOK 38.70

$4.41 ₡1,978

-6.80%

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

$3.00 NOK 28.21

$1.74 ₡780

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.45

$1.31 ₡587

154.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.71 NOK 120

$3.28 ₡1,471

287.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.27 NOK 106

$4.47 ₡2,004

152.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 NOK 27.37

$1.56 ₡701

86.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 NOK 39.22

$3.02 ₡1,355

38.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.87

$2.51 ₡1,125

56.18%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.35

$3.57 ₡1,603

46.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 NOK 169

$7.43 ₡3,333

141.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.75 NOK 148

$10.52 ₡4,717

49.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.29

$2.35 ₡1,052

41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.20

$1.61 ₡720

92.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.16

$4.80 ₡2,152

-35.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 44.84

$1.61 ₡724

195.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.05

$3.80 ₡1,703

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 22.11

$3.69 ₡1,657

-36.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 NOK 25.66

$1.13 ₡507

141.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 NOK 186

$5.18 ₡2,321

281.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.12 NOK 218

$19.88 ₡8,916

16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

45.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 NOK 72.3

$3.63 ₡1,626

111.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 NOK 47.24

$1.12 ₡504

348.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 779

$72.6 ₡32.6K

13.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.41 NOK 145

$2.14 ₡958

620.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.82

$1.52 ₡682

52.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$21.17 NOK 199

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-41.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 800

$53.6 ₡24.0K

58.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 NOK 542

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-19.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$18.48 NOK 174

$7.89 ₡3,539

134.22%

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

$207 NOK 1,953

$494 ₡221.6K

-58.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 1,021

$53.9 ₡24.2K

101.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,272

$77.9 ₡34.9K

73.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,482

$79.6 ₡35.7K

97.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 NOK 11.8K

$788 ₡353.4K

58.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 NOK 9,199

$794 ₡356.2K

23.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,854 NOK 17.5K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-52.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 NOK 15.7K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

17.39%

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)

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

$864 ₡387.3K

392.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

8.62

-44.32%

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

Last update for Molde: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Molde

$977 43.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 18.7% $183

Groceries & Markets

Molde

$417 * 18.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 15.6% $65

Eating Out

Molde

$337 15.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 37.2% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Molde

$180 * 8.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 33.5% $60

Getting Around

Molde

$118 * 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 26.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molde

$106 * 4.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 75% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Molde

$95 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 7.6% $7.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,249 in Molde and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 393% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $96.0 in Molde vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Molde

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:33 5:33 PM

09:33 9:33 AM

8 h behind Molde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,920

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

Molde Nosara 9,160 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Molde
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

Molde vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 393% higher in Molde, 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: $1,249 in Molde versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Molde versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,231 in Molde, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Molde. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Molde, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Molde 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.