Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cavtat

For one person, living is cheaper in Cavtat: $1,525 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Cavtat
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Cavtat Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Cavtat

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cavtat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,525 in Cavtat.

Nosara $1,839
Cavtat $1,525

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,315 in Cavtat.

Nosara $2,828
Cavtat $2,315

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,105 in Cavtat.

Nosara $3,818
Cavtat $3,105

Living in Nosara is roughly 21% more expensive than in Cavtat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Cavtat 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.46 €11.97

-8.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$72.8 €64.8

-16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.38 €8.34

-19.83%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.43 €2.16

81.48%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.29 €2.93

-47.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.34 €2.08

-44.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.68 €3.28

-10.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.14 €3.69

7.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.19 €1.05

31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.53 €1.36

97.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.03 €2.70

-17.16%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.72 €3.30

-4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.78 €9.59

-31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.55 €8.50

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.73 €10.43

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.69 €1.50

39.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.71 €1.52

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.92 €1.71

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.52 €2.24

-36.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.28 €1.14

196.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.26 €1.12

192.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.23 €1.09

-8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.21 €1.08

119.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.82 €5.18

-11.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.66 €5.93

198.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.45 €1.29

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.98 €1.76

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.81 €1.61

-38.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.55 €37.85

70.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.14 €2.79

-31.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.10 €0.98

42.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.81 €7.84

-3.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.77 €1.58

-14.12%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$38.6K €34.4K

-44.06%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.8K €22.9K

33.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$184 €164

-47.70%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.08 €20.53

55.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.21 €27.76

71.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$50.7 €45.11

41.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.82 €13.18

135.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.15 €8.14

-13.77%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$240 €214

105.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,242 €7,331

43.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$93.8 €83.5

-42.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$38.00 €33.80

45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$105 €93.4

-25.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$106 €94.5

-25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$690 €614

14.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$531 €473

49.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,079 €960

265.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$834 €742

70.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,150 €3,692

66.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,318 €2,951

-63.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.35

98.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cavtat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Cavtat

$531 34.9% 33.1% $263

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Cavtat

$259 17% 26.6% $94

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Cavtat

$214 14.1% 1.1% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Cavtat

$238 15.6% 28.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cavtat

$154 10.1% 28.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cavtat

$69 4.5% 21% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cavtat

$58 3.8% 32.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $690 in Cavtat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $73.0 in Cavtat. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $259, with Cavtat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇭🇷 Cavtat

🕒 Local time

09:38 9:38 AM

17:38 5:38 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,153

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Cavtat 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cavtat

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 Cavtat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cavtat wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cavtat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,287 in Cavtat to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $690 in Cavtat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cavtat – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,525 in Cavtat – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,525 in Cavtat versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cavtat but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cavtat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cavtat delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,525 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cavtat hard to pass up.

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