Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Drangsnes

For one person, living is cheaper in Drangsnes: $1,712 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Drangsnes
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Drangsnes Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Drangsnes

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Drangsnes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,712 in Drangsnes.

Nosara $1,839
Drangsnes $1,712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,910 in Drangsnes.

Nosara $2,828
Drangsnes $2,910

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,109 in Drangsnes.

Nosara $3,818
Drangsnes $4,109

Living in Nosara is roughly 7% more expensive than in Drangsnes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Drangsnes 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$30.53 ISK 3,703

-59.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$122 ISK 14.8K

-49.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$27.37 ISK 3,320

-72.52%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.65 ISK 806

-33.68%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.40 ISK 412

-48.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$3.02 ISK 366

-56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$14.04 ISK 1,703

-76.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$12.40 ISK 1,504

-63.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.10 ISK 255

-25.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.32 ISK 523

-30.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.65 ISK 443

-31.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$6.97 ISK 845

-48.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$21.84 ISK 2,649

-65.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$24.20 ISK 2,935

-56.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$41.38 ISK 5,019

-66.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.35 ISK 406

-29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.78 ISK 337

-42.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.27 ISK 397

46.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$6.43 ISK 780

-74.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.81 ISK 462

-0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.63 ISK 198

126.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.82 ISK 463

-70.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.81 ISK 219

46.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$14.12 ISK 1,713

-63.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$23.60 ISK 2,862

-15.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.69 ISK 447

-21.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.33 ISK 403

9.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.66 ISK 808

-67.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.91 ISK 353

-46.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$80.9 ISK 9,806

-89.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.12 ISK 257

-28.30%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$50.3K ISK 6.1M

-57.05%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$53.0K ISK 6.4M

-34.83%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$95.5 ISK 11.6K

0.87%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.50 ISK 3,942

10.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$85.5 ISK 10.4K

-37.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$19.83 ISK 2,405

-60.21%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,173 ISK 142.3K

-57.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$26.3K ISK 3.2M

-54.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$150 ISK 18.1K

-63.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$66.2 ISK 8,034

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$180 ISK 21.9K

-56.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$250 ISK 30.4K

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$6,197 ISK 751.6K

-86.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.81

-2.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Drangsnes: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Drangsnes

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Drangsnes

$620 36.2% 76% $268

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Drangsnes

$527 30.8% 149% $315

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Drangsnes

$213 12.5% 14.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Drangsnes

$291 17% 142% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Drangsnes

$40 * 2.3% 54.6% $48

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Drangsnes

$21 * 1.2% 75.6% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

Drangsnes pays 618% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $122 in Drangsnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $620 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇸 Drangsnes

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

00:35 12:35 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

100

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Drangsnes 7,840 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Drangsnes

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 Drangsnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drangsnes wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Drangsnes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 618% lower in Drangsnes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $1,173 in Drangsnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Drangsnes – a meal for two runs $122 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,712 in Drangsnes versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Drangsnes but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Drangsnes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Drangsnes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,712 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Drangsnes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Drangsnes 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 Drangsnes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.