Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gavle

For one person, living is cheaper in Gavle: $1,422 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Gavle
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Gavle Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gavle

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gavle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,422 in Gavle.

Nosara $1,839
Gavle $1,422

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,261 in Gavle.

Nosara $2,828
Gavle $2,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,101 in Gavle.

Nosara $3,818
Gavle $3,101

Living in Nosara is roughly 29% more expensive than in Gavle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Gavle 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.57 SEK 134

-8.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.8 SEK 781

-22.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.47 SEK 93.8

-20.59%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.43 SEK 43.85

-0.45%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.96 SEK 19.45

-11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.95 SEK 19.36

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.79 SEK 77.2

-57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.86 SEK 77.9

-43.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.67 SEK 16.56

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.60 SEK 25.75

16.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.80 SEK 37.61

-33.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.81 SEK 37.79

-6.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.46 SEK 93.7

-21.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.38 SEK 103

1.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.60 SEK 184

-24.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.11 SEK 30.78

-24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.84 SEK 28.13

-43.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.19 SEK 31.61

50.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.45 SEK 44.08

-63.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.74 SEK 17.21

118.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.71 SEK 16.99

115.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.47 SEK 24.49

-54.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.94 SEK 19.21

37.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$8.03 SEK 79.5

-35.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.16 SEK 111

78.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.56 SEK 15.50

85.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.53 SEK 15.14

137.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.17 SEK 31.38

-64.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$58.4 SEK 578

24.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.44 SEK 43.98

-51.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.45 SEK 14.41

8.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$33.41 SEK 331

-74.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.79 SEK 17.71

-15.08%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$26.3K SEK 260.5K

-17.82%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.3K SEK 280.4K

21.98%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$54.0 SEK 535

78.22%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$21.30 SEK 211

68.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.32 SEK 390

36.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$47.80 SEK 474

49.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$15.06 SEK 149

-47.61%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$130 SEK 1,289

279.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.9K SEK 147.4K

-20.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$68.5 SEK 679

-21.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.6 SEK 580

-5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$50.1 SEK 497

55.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$88.6 SEK 878

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$560 SEK 5,547

40.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$415 SEK 4,109

91.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$767 SEK 7,600

413.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$647 SEK 6,411

119.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,875 SEK 18.6K

268.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,327 SEK 13.1K

-7.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,114 SEK 30.9K

-72.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.37

155.79%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gavle: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gavle

$415 29.2% 47.8% $380

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gavle

$352 24.7% 0.1% $0.5

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gavle

$260 18.3% 23% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gavle

$115 8.1% 38.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gavle

$120 8.4% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gavle

$78 5.5% 10.8% $9.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gavle

$83 5.8% 5% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $560 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 261% 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 $79.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇪 Gavle

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

15:27 3:27 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

100,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gavle 9,730 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gavle

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 Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Gavle differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $1,422 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 261% lower in Gavle. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $560 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 24% 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 $130 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,422 in Gavle versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Gavle 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 Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.