Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gostivar

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $835 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gostivar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $835 in Gostivar.

Nosara $1,839
Gostivar $835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,262 in Gostivar.

Nosara $2,828
Gostivar $1,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,689 in Gostivar.

Nosara $3,818
Gostivar $1,689

Living in Nosara is roughly 120% more expensive than in Gostivar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Gostivar is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$6.25 MKD 341

97.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$26.92 MKD 1,468

127.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.81 MKD 317

29.43%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.39 MKD 75.9

217.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.32 MKD 72.2

31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.07 MKD 58.1

22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.31 MKD 71.5

150.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.77 MKD 96.3

152.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.29 MKD 70.2

20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.75 MKD 40.84

302.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.42 MKD 77.3

76.76%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.46 MKD 134

45.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.49 MKD 354

14.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.59 MKD 305

88.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.35 MKD 783

-2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.43 MKD 78.1

64.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.39 MKD 75.8

15.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.35 MKD 73.8

255.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.78 MKD 97.1

-9.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.83 MKD 45.18

357.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.70 MKD 38.06

427.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.64 MKD 34.74

76.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 MKD 30.92

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.76 MKD 150

87.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.63 MKD 253

329.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.88 MKD 47.86

229.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.41 MKD 77.1

157.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.74 MKD 40.29

51.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$21.14 MKD 1,153

243.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.75 MKD 40.97

185.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.34 MKD 18.33

361.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$7.75 MKD 423

9.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.44 MKD 78.4

5.56%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-32.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

27.40%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$129 MKD 7,046

-25.45%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.75 MKD 586

233.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.87 MKD 1,029

184.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$21.76 MKD 1,187

229.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$18.73 MKD 1,022

86.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.10 MKD 387

11.13%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$362 MKD 19.7K

36.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,736 MKD 312.9K

106.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$36.91 MKD 2,014

46.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.52 MKD 1,992

51.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$102 MKD 5,589

-23.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$115 MKD 6,252

-30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$275 MKD 15.0K

186.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$194 MKD 10.6K

310.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$504 MKD 27.5K

682.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$298 MKD 16.3K

375.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,525 MKD 83.2K

353.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,133 MKD 61.8K

8.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$863 MKD 47.1K

0.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.23

103.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Gostivar

$194 23.2% 75.6% $601

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Gostivar

$186 22.3% 47.2% $166

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Gostivar

$104 12.4% 51% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Gostivar

$159 19% 14.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Gostivar

$131 15.7% 8.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gostivar

$36 4.3% 58.9% $51

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Gostivar

$27 3.2% 69.6% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $275 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 0% 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 $27.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $186 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

07:56 7:56 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

36,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gostivar 10,610 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gostivar

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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 120% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 0% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $275 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $835 in Gostivar – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 244% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $835 in Gostivar versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Gostivar 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 Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.