Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cacak

For one person, living is cheaper in Cacak: $1,051 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Cacak
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Cacak Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cacak

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cacak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,051 in Cacak.

Nosara $1,839
Cacak $1,051

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,571 in Cacak.

Nosara $2,828
Cacak $1,571

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,092 in Cacak.

Nosara $3,818
Cacak $2,092

Living in Nosara is roughly 75% more expensive than in Cacak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Cacak is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.29 RSD 760

69.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$38.45 RSD 4,009

59.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.29 RSD 1,177

-33.39%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.54 RSD 161

186.36%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.41 RSD 251

-27.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.44 RSD 150

-9.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.52 RSD 263

30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.53 RSD 264

76.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.23 RSD 128

26.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.73 RSD 76.2

313.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.71 RSD 283

-7.38%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.64 RSD 275

35.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$3.76 RSD 392

97.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.35 RSD 766

43.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.96 RSD 1,456

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.25 RSD 130

88.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.88 RSD 196

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.67 RSD 174

187.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.48 RSD 258

-35.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.00 RSD 104

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.68 RSD 71.1

442.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.01 RSD 105

11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.60 RSD 62.0

343.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.66 RSD 486

11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.13 RSD 743

178.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.94 RSD 97.7

208.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.23 RSD 232

62.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.93 RSD 96.9

20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$16.54 RSD 1,724

339.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.95 RSD 203

9.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.89 RSD 92.9

76.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$10.64 RSD 1,109

-19.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.69 RSD 177

-10.06%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.3K RSD 2.8M

-20.76%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.7K RSD 2.7M

34.36%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$142 RSD 14.8K

-32.17%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.81 RSD 1,961

90.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.90 RSD 1,971

183.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.86 RSD 3,112

139.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.59 RSD 791

3.95%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$374 RSD 39.0K

32.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,499 RSD 781.7K

58.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$119 RSD 12.4K

-54.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$43.32 RSD 4,516

27.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$136 RSD 14.2K

-42.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$125 RSD 13.0K

-36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$311 RSD 32.5K

153.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$259 RSD 27.0K

206.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$423 RSD 44.1K

831.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$371 RSD 38.7K

282.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,109 RSD 219.8K

227.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,573 RSD 164.0K

-22.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$723 RSD 75.3K

19.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.21

65.45%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cacak: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cacak

$259 24.6% 67.4% $536

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cacak

$206 19.7% 41.4% $146

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cacak

$144 13.7% 32.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cacak

$180 17.1% 3.3% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cacak

$190 18.1% 58.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cacak

$45 4.3% 48.5% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cacak

$27 2.5% 69.4% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $311 in Cacak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 20% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $38.00 in Cacak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $206 per month, with Cacak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇷🇸 Cacak

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

07:47 7:47 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

69,598

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, 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).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cacak 10,490 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cacak

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 Cacak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cacak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Nosara, 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: $788 in Nosara versus $311 in Cacak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $374 in Cacak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,051 in Cacak versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cacak but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cacak the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cacak 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 Cacak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.