Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Akureyri

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,060 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Akureyri

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Akureyri actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,060 in Akureyri, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Akureyri $3,060

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $4,123 in Akureyri, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Akureyri $4,123

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $5,186 in Akureyri, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Akureyri $5,186

Nosara is about 40% cheaper than Akureyri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Akureyri sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Akureyri by 128%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$24.64 ISK 3,004

-50.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$133 ISK 16.2K

-54.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$22.95 ISK 2,799

-67.15%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.93 ISK 602

-12.58%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.44 ISK 420

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$3.12 ISK 381

-56.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$11.08 ISK 1,352

-70.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$9.43 ISK 1,150

-52.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.77 ISK 338

-43.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.30 ISK 280

37.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.18 ISK 388

-23.90%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$7.93 ISK 967

-54.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$15.52 ISK 1,892

-52.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$24.79 ISK 3,024

-57.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.91 ISK 355

-44.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.49 ISK 426

35.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.89 ISK 719

-71.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$13.61 ISK 1,660

-63.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.52 ISK 307

-37.70%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$41.1K ISK 5.0M

-46.98%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$66.4K ISK 8.1M

-47.86%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$124 ISK 15.1K

-24.50%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$26.03 ISK 3,174

34.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$162 ISK 19.7K

-68.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$86.8 ISK 10.6K

-17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$15.18 ISK 1,852

-48.35%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$364 ISK 44.3K

34.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$82.6 ISK 10.1K

-35.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$123 ISK 15.0K

-35.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,800 ISK 219.5K

-56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,787 ISK 217.9K

-56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,153 ISK 262.6K

-34.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$6,605 ISK 805.5K

5.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$6,467 ISK 788.7K

-81.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.4

-8.30%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Akureyri: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Akureyri

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Akureyri

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Akureyri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Akureyri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Akureyri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Akureyri

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Akureyri

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,800 in Akureyri. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $133 in Akureyri. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $327 in Akureyri – so Akureyri wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,219

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Akureyri 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Akureyri

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

Nosara vs Akureyri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $4,590 in Akureyri. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $133 in Akureyri. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Akureyri – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Akureyri at $3,060. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akureyri it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Akureyri makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.