Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Elbasan

For one person, living is cheaper in Elbasan: $882 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Elbasan
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Elbasan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Elbasan

🇦🇱 Albania

$882

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Elbasan

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $882 in Elbasan, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Elbasan $882

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,391 in Elbasan, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Elbasan $1,391

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,901 in Elbasan, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Elbasan $1,901

Nosara costs about 109% more than Elbasan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Elbasan is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.79 ALL 788

26.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$36.36 ALL 2,928

68.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.85 ALL 552

9.78%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.68 ALL 135

162.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.35 ALL 109

28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.63 ALL 50.8

107.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.16 ALL 174

51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.83 ALL 228

57.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.88 ALL 151

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.91 ALL 73.4

231.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.62 ALL 131

54.94%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.70 ALL 218

32.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.98 ALL 804

-25.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.87 ALL 473

79.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.19 ALL 901

24.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.20 ALL 96.3

95.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.28 ALL 184

-29.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.36 ALL 109

252.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 ALL 86.1

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.98 ALL 79.0

287.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.09 ALL 87.5

238.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.81 ALL 65.1

39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.65 ALL 52.1

309.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.38 ALL 353

18.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.07 ALL 649

146.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.02 ALL 82.0

184.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.85 ALL 149

96.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.48 ALL 38.46

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$19.51 ALL 1,571

272.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.77 ALL 303

-43.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.51 ALL 122

3.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$14.94 ALL 1,203

-42.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.15 ALL 173

-29.30%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.9K ALL 2.3M

-25.29%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.9K ALL 2.4M

15.44%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$61.1 ALL 4,918

57.67%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.20 ALL 1,224

136.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$12.00 ALL 966

346.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$56.6 ALL 4,558

26.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.22 ALL 1,386

102.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.33 ALL 349

82.22%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$139 ALL 11.2K

255.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,835 ALL 147.8K

546.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$72.1 ALL 5,804

-25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.85 ALL 3,611

23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$94.8 ALL 7,630

-17.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$96.3 ALL 7,754

-17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$299 ALL 24.1K

163.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$204 ALL 16.4K

289.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$442 ALL 35.6K

791.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$311 ALL 25.1K

356.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,361 ALL 109.6K

407.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$858 ALL 69.1K

42.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$539 ALL 43.4K

60.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.1

41.31%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Elbasan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Elbasan

$204 23.1% 74.3% $591

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Elbasan

$210 23.8% 40.5% $143

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Elbasan

$143 16.3% 32.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Elbasan

$88 10% 52.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Elbasan

$139 15.7% 15.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Elbasan

$65 7.4% 25.3% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Elbasan

$33 3.7% 62.4% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $299 in Elbasan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $36.00 in Elbasan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $210 – making Elbasan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇱 Elbasan

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

06:08 6:08 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

78,703

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, 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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Elbasan 10,560 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Elbasan

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 Elbasan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,322 in Elbasan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elbasan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $36.00 in Elbasan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Elbasan, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Elbasan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Elbasan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.