Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Crikvenica

For one person, living is cheaper in Crikvenica: $1,539 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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 Crikvenica
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Crikvenica Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Crikvenica

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Crikvenica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,539 in Crikvenica.

Nosara $1,839
Crikvenica $1,539

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,353 in Crikvenica.

Nosara $2,828
Crikvenica $2,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,167 in Crikvenica.

Nosara $3,818
Crikvenica $3,167

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Crikvenica 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$13.59 €12.13

-9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$73.3 €65.4

-16.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$7.77 €6.94

-3.22%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$3.29 €2.94

34.04%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$3.01 €2.69

-42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$2.94 €2.62

-55.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$5.57 €4.98

-41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$4.55 €4.06

-1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.12 €1.00

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$1.61 €1.44

87.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$3.03 €2.71

-17.16%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$3.74 €3.34

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$15.33 €13.69

-51.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$9.98 €8.91

5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$12.03 €10.75

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.66 €1.48

41.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.54 €1.37

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$1.91 €1.70

151.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$2.64 €2.36

-39.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.38 €1.23

175.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$1.29 €1.15

186.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$1.32 €1.18

-14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.30 €1.16

104.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$5.59 €4.99

-7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$7.66 €6.84

159.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$1.36 €1.22

113.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$1.48 €1.33

145.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.69 €1.51

-33.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.13 €37.62

72.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$3.27 €2.92

-34.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.43 €1.28

9.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$13.42 €11.98

-36.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.86 €1.66

-18.28%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$26.5K €23.6K

-18.37%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.4K €21.8K

41.36%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$182 €162

-47.01%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$24.35 €21.74

47.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$39.64 €35.40

35.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$51.9 €46.34

37.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.84 €12.36

152.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$6.90 €6.16

14.35%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$425 €379

16.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,944 €6,201

70.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$89.7 €80.1

-39.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$41.89 €37.41

32.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$105 €93.9

-25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$78.0 €69.7

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$667 €595

18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

$517 €462

53.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,193 €1,066

230.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$844 €754

68.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,662 €3,270

88.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

$2,726 €2,434

-55.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.72

131.72%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Crikvenica: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Crikvenica

$517 33.6% 34.9% $277

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Crikvenica

$278 18% 21.2% $75

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Crikvenica

$232 15.1% 9.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Crikvenica

$246 16% 32.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Crikvenica

$142 9.2% 17.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Crikvenica

$66 4.3% 24.8% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Crikvenica

$59 3.9% 31.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $667 in Crikvenica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $73.0 in Crikvenica. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $278, with Crikvenica cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇭🇷 Crikvenica

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

13:09 1:09 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

11,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Crikvenica 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Crikvenica

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 Crikvenica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crikvenica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,309 in Crikvenica 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 $667 in Crikvenica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crikvenica runs roughly 72% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $425 in Crikvenica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,539 in Crikvenica versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Crikvenica but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Crikvenica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Crikvenica 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 Crikvenica 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 Crikvenica 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.