Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gradac

For one person, living is cheaper in Gradac: $1,553 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Gradac
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Gradac Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Gradac

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,553

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gradac

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,553 in Gradac, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Gradac $1,553

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,381 in Gradac, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Gradac $2,381

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,209 in Gradac, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Gradac $3,209

Nosara costs about 18% more than Gradac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Gradac sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Gradac by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$13.71 €12.23

-10.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$61.6 €54.9

-2.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$18.51 €16.52

-59.27%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.57 €2.29

67.70%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.98 €2.66

-42.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.20 €1.97

-38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.73 €3.33

-13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$8.14 €7.26

-44.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.24 €1.11

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.64 €1.46

93.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.94 €2.63

-17.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.97 €3.55

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.57 €10.32

-35.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$9.60 €8.57

8.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.30 €10.97

11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.96 €1.75

18.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.38 €1.23

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.86 €1.66

154.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.68 €2.39

-38.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.35 €1.20

175.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.17 €1.04

205.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.10 €0.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.23 €1.09

107.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$10.88 €9.71

-54.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$7.92 €7.07

152.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.63 €1.45

71.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.26 €2.02

56.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.71 €1.53

-30.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$42.71 €38.12

68.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.48 €3.11

-35.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.42 €1.26

9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$15.05 €13.43

-41.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.85 €1.65

-15.14%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$26.6K €23.7K

-18.02%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.9K €22.3K

38.86%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$182 €162

-48.55%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$22.64 €20.21

55.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$39.97 €35.67

28.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$52.7 €47.05

35.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$14.04 €12.53

152.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.85 €7.90

-11.41%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$427 €381

14.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,649 €7,718

37.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$98.0 €87.5

-45.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$39.72 €35.45

40.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$107 €95.0

-25.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$98.3 €87.7

-19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$674 €602

16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$529 €472

47.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,207 €1,077

219.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$860 €768

63.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,753 €3,349

85.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,690 €2,400

-55.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,636 €1,460

-46.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.65

136.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gradac: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Gradac

$529 33.5% 32.2% $251

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Gradac

$269 17.1% 23% $80

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Gradac

$252 16% 20.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Gradac

$244 15.5% 35.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Gradac

$154 9.8% 28.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gradac

$70 4.5% 19.1% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gradac

$60 3.8% 30.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $674 in Gradac. 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 87% higher in Gradac, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $62.0 in Gradac. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $269 in Gradac – so Gradac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇭🇷 Gradac

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

06:03 6:03 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,300

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gradac 10,280 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gradac

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 Gradac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 18% more than Gradac, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,329 in Gradac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $62.0 in Gradac. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gradac, where all-in costs run around $1,553, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Gradac it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gradac costs $1,553 versus $1,837 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Gradac. 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.