Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cimislia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cimislia: $789 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Cimislia
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Cimislia Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Cimislia

🇲🇩 Moldova

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cimislia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $789 in Cimislia.

Nosara $1,835
Cimislia $789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,125 in Cimislia.

Nosara $2,825
Cimislia $1,125

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $1,461 in Cimislia.

Nosara $3,814
Cimislia $1,461

Living in Nosara is roughly 133% more expensive than in Cimislia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Cimislia is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$6.69 MDL 119

84.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$22.58 MDL 401

171.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.66 MDL 189

-27.20%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$1.63 MDL 29.02

172.39%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.10 MDL 19.62

62.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.64 MDL 11.40

101.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$1.11 MDL 19.67

191.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.18 MDL 38.65

103.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.03 MDL 18.38

50.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$0.40 MDL 7.15

670.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.54 MDL 27.32

64.29%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.07 MDL 36.70

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$6.86 MDL 122

6.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.95 MDL 70.1

159.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$6.24 MDL 111

125.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$0.54 MDL 9.59

324.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.25 MDL 39.96

-27.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.43 MDL 25.34

234.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.97 MDL 35.06

-16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.58 MDL 10.24

563.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.52 MDL 9.18

621.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.46 MDL 8.19

136.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.58 MDL 10.28

346.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$3.31 MDL 58.9

54.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$4.49 MDL 79.8

343.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.15 MDL 20.42

143.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.00 MDL 35.61

76.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.27 MDL 4.78

351.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.81 MDL 49.90

-22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.26 MDL 4.63

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$5.55 MDL 98.6

56.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.39 MDL 24.68

11.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.2K MDL 589.1K

4.16%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$24.4K MDL 432.5K

59.11%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$226 MDL 4,006

-57.96%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$7.71 MDL 137

368.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$11.03 MDL 196

381.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$16.80 MDL 298

339.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$7.50 MDL 133

5.47%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$112 MDL 1,989

337.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,295 MDL 94.0K

124.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$45.08 MDL 801

21.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$55.2 MDL 981

45.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$50.8 MDL 903

53.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$225 MDL 3,991

256.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$168 MDL 2,984

369.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$330 MDL 5,854

1114.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$280 MDL 4,981

402.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$743 MDL 13.2K

850.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$685 MDL 12.2K

80.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$425 MDL 7,550

108.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Cimislia

$168 21.3% 78.7% $622

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Cimislia

$150 19% 57.1% $200

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Cimislia

$122 15.5% 42.6% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Cimislia

$244 30.9% 32.8% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Cimislia

$68 * 8.6% 43.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Cimislia

$32 4% 64.5% $58

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Cimislia

$5.2 * 0.7% 94.2% $84

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $225 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 109% 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 $23.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $150 per month, with Cimislia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇩 Cimislia

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

20:03 8:03 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

16,100

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Cimislia 11,000 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cimislia

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 Cimislia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimislia wins on cost – living expenses run 133% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimislia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 109% 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: $801 in Nosara versus $225 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $789 in Cimislia – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $789 in Cimislia versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimislia but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cimislia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimislia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $789 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimislia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cimislia 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 Cimislia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.