Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Budva: $1,604 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Budva

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,604 in Budva, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Budva $1,604

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,553 in Budva, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Budva $2,553

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,501 in Budva, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Budva $3,501

Nosara costs about 15% more than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Budva sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Budva by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$14.84 €13.24

-17.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$68.4 €61.0

-11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$13.49 €12.04

-44.11%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.42 €3.05

26.02%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.25 €2.01

-23.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.54 €1.37

-12.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.80 €4.28

-32.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.30 €3.84

4.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.21 €1.08

29.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.09 €0.98

190.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.21 €1.97

9.50%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.99 €2.67

19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.74 €7.80

-14.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$9.23 €8.24

12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.51 €11.16

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.28 €1.14

81.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.67 €1.49

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.48 €1.32

220.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.83 €2.53

-41.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.94 €0.84

295.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.06 €0.95

236.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.64 €1.47

-32.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.91 €0.81

180.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.36 €3.89

13.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.68 €6.85

160.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.12 €1.00

149.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.69 €1.50

108.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.84 €2.54

-58.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$40.03 €35.73

80.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.13 €1.01

98.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.15 €1.02

34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$16.90 €15.08

-47.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.72 €1.53

-8.72%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$29.6K €26.4K

-26.22%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$26.2K €23.3K

32.40%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$163 €145

-42.57%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$14.79 €13.20

137.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$33.37 €29.78

54.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$58.8 €52.5

21.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$21.72 €19.39

63.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.19 €5.52

26.66%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$395 €352

24.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$9,585 €8,553

23.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$104 €92.7

-48.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$44.73 €39.91

24.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$97.7 €87.2

-18.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$177 €158

-55.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$823 €735

-4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$592 €528

31.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,484 €1,324

160.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,168 €1,042

20.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,175 €3,726

66.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,981 €2,660

-59.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,031 €920

-15.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.95

44.87%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Budva

$592 36.8% 24.1% $188

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Budva

$237 14.7% 32.2% $113

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Budva

$248 15.4% 18.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Budva

$211 13.1% 17.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Budva

$190 11.8% 58.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Budva

$71 4.4% 18.3% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Budva

$58 3.6% 32.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $823 in Budva. 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 18% higher in Budva, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $68.0 in Budva. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $237 in Budva – so Budva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

05:08 5:08 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,338

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Budva 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Budva

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 Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,604 in Budva – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,406 in Budva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budva, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,604 in Budva. That's a gap of about 15%.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Budva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Budva, where all-in costs run around $1,604, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Budva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $1,604 in Budva to $1,837 in Nosara. 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 Budva. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.