Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,547 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bålsta

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 Bålsta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,547 in Bålsta.

Nosara $1,839
Bålsta $1,547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,416 in Bålsta.

Nosara $2,828
Bålsta $2,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,286 in Bålsta.

Nosara $3,818
Bålsta $3,286

Living in Nosara is roughly 19% more expensive than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Bålsta 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.80 SEK 137

-10.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$65.1 SEK 645

-5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.62 SEK 85.5

-12.76%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.89 SEK 38.56

13.37%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.65 SEK 26.21

-34.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.22 SEK 22.00

-40.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.90 SEK 68.4

-52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.82 SEK 67.6

-34.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.53 SEK 15.16

1.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.02 SEK 20.04

49.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.56 SEK 35.31

-29.49%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.62 SEK 35.86

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.93 SEK 108

-32.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.00 SEK 119

-12.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.92 SEK 108

27.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.44 SEK 24.15

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.55 SEK 25.30

-36.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.93 SEK 19.13

148.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.73 SEK 27.06

-41.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.46 SEK 14.42

160.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.22 SEK 12.07

202.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.51 SEK 14.94

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.98 SEK 9.70

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.18 SEK 71.2

-27.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.74 SEK 96.5

104.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.53 SEK 15.16

89.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.01 SEK 19.88

80.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.19 SEK 31.62

-64.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$78.0 SEK 773

-6.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.81 SEK 57.6

-63.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.51 SEK 15.00

3.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$78.0 SEK 773

-89.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.75 SEK 17.37

-13.14%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

-34.28%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.0K SEK 317.3K

7.78%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$49.58 SEK 491

94.21%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$20.01 SEK 198

79.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.64 SEK 393

35.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$38.01 SEK 377

88.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$25.77 SEK 255

35.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.98 SEK 129

-39.21%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$121 SEK 1,194

310.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,908 SEK 48.6K

141.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$70.8 SEK 701

-23.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$10.12 SEK 100

447.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$81.0 SEK 803

-3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$110 SEK 1,087

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$794 SEK 7,862

-0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$602 SEK 5,966

31.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,359 SEK 13.5K

189.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,014 SEK 10.1K

39.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,972 SEK 39.4K

74.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,805 SEK 27.8K

-56.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,866 SEK 38.3K

-77.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.8

207.86%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Bålsta

$602 38.9% 24.2% $192

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Bålsta

$294 19% 16.4% $58

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Bålsta

$251 16.2% 18.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Bålsta

$109 7.1% 41.2% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Bålsta

$122 7.9% 1.8% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Bålsta

$64 4.1% 26.8% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Bålsta

$104 6.7% 19.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $794 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 348% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $65.0 in Bålsta. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $294, with Bålsta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,138

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Bålsta 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Bålsta

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 Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 348% lower in Bålsta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $794 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,547 in Bålsta – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 7% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,547 in Bålsta versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,547 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.